When Darkness Falls
by La Vita Nuova
Summary: When Sam Uley disappears, darkness begins to creep into the small town of Forks, trapping Bella under the watchful eyes of a father. But Charlie isn't the only one watching... An imprint is for life... at least that's what they said.
1. Murder By Numbers

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the properties of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**a/n: Wolfgals/guys - For those of you who read _In Omne Tempus_, just a warning - this is NOT a continuation. _When Darkness Falls_ is a Bella/Paul story and I hope if you did check this out thinking otherwise, you'll at least give it a chance. **

**A big wonderful thanks and hello to my beta Twiticulate who helped make this happen... she has graciously agreed to join me for another story and I couldn't be happier to have her onboard. As always, any and all errors are mine, and that will remain the case for the ensuing chapters. I am aiming to post bi-weekly on Wednesdays and Sunday, but if that changes I will do my very best to let you know. **

**...and that's enough from me... enjoy. LVN.x**

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><p>His tongue slithered out of his mouth, wrapped around the chapped crevices of his lips and then retreated again; all the while his beady eyes followed her like a falcon hunting its prey.<p>

"So, this weekend, you free?" He leant back on his bright red Camaro with a casual arm and Bella felt a little repulsed when he began trailing the body work with a long, spindly finger.

"Umm, I can't; after everything that's been going on, my Dad won't let me out of his sight." She said, trying to appease him by looking a little forlorn, but not so much that he would think she actually meant it.

Taking his pause for concentration as a cue, she whirled around on the spot, vying straight for her old beat up truck as she drew her thick coat a little closer to her skin.

The cold town of Forks had been a learning curve after the almost touchable heat of Arizona, but a little over a year in and she was almost beginning to feel native. Her truck wheezed down the street in an archaic grunt and knowing she had to push it a few miles further than home, she eased up on the gas pedal, coaxing the old beast into the slovenly ordeal.

As she hopped out into the yard, a cloud of dust and dirt jumped up from the arid ground, coating the lower legs of her jeans with a fine layer of grime. The sky, a deep navy blue, was just as it had been for the past four weeks, and not a single cloud marred the wide expanse. She'd already endured three passing conversations about the lack of rain today, but as Billy Black peeled back the screen door and peered up past her to the sky, she knew it wasn't her last.

"Still no rain? That's never a good sign." His eyes drew back from her, hiding his true feelings behind a blank stare and involuntarily a little shudder spread from her shrugged shoulders down to her toes.

Seeing her reaction, he visibly mellowed, his dark eyes softening with aged creases. "I'm guessing you're here to see Jake?" He asked, but he obviously couldn't help himself when he continued with a further question, unable to keep the parental disapproval from his voice. "Does Charlie know?" Shaking her head, she couldn't help the honesty that naturally spewed from her well groomed instincts.

"Well, he's gonna be mad when he finds out, just you be sure to tell him I didn't encourage this. Either way, Jake's out back." A flash of sadness and something that looked a little like resignation crossed the old man's eyes, indicating there was a truth in his words that she should possibly heed.

Sighing, she stepped back, but she didn't get far before Billy's words halted her progress.

"Bella, tell Charlie to give me a call when you see him; it's important." His eyes met hers and she understood he was trying to convey just how vital it was that she followed his request.

"I'll make sure to tell him." Bella said while tripping back from the porch, her eyes darting down as her feet took steps in retreat. Heading back around the worn property with a scuff of her toes, Bella shoved her hands deep into her pockets, trying to find some joy in her day.

"Jake?" She called, her head peering around the sheet of tin that Jake always haphazardly slid in place, a soft attempt to replicate a door.

"Bells?" The astonishment was clear in the slightly raised pitch of his voice and immediately the source was clear.

The whole of Clallam County had been on high alert for a few months now and friendly visits had been few and far between. The disappearance of Sam Uley might have initially gone unnoticed, and potentially might have remained that way for those folks residing outside of La Push, were it not for the outspoken voice of Leah Clearwater.

Sam Uley and Leah Clearwater had been foreign names on her lips less than two months ago, but now Bella could speak about them with a look of authority on her face. Because not only was her father the Chief of Police for the small neighboring town of Forks, but her best friend just happened to have the inside scoop on the Quileute Tribal Council.

As far as Jake could tell her, Leah had caused herself a certain amount of trouble by being so vocal about her fiancé's disappearance, mainly because it just wasn't the done thing on the rez to bring in the outside authorities. From what Bella had seen of the beautiful dark haired girl on the local news though, she seemed utterly consumed within her own grief and therefore probably completely oblivious to the controversy she was courting.

"Has anyone heard anything about Sam?" Bella asked, before even bothering with the perfunctory pleasantries that normally passed between them. Stalking back towards the pile of metal scraps spread out of the concrete floor, Bella noticed Jake's eyes narrow down to sharp points, focusing intently on the tool in his hand.

"Nah. Not much anyway, not that it stops the cops from coming round all the time and asking my dad questions." Jake slid to the floor and picked up something that looked complex and confusing.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, her voice low and cautious as Jake didn't exactly seem in the mood to share, "... what's 'not much'?"

Placing herself down on an upturned crate, Bella brushed the dust absently from her knees.

"Nothing Bells. It's nothing." Jake responded, his voice full of finality and then something awkward and jovial when he began again. "Anyway, I can't believe Charlie let you come down here. He was freaking out with my dad about you going anywhere alone when he showed up a couple days ago."

Bella didn't respond, mostly because she didn't know how, but eventually she let a 'yeah' slip through her lips, spoken to no one in particular.

The awkward friction between them grew to an insurmountable pressure and Bella couldn't help her awkward little jump of surprise when the slice of metal guarding the doorway slid open.

"Jake? Oh hey, Bella. I didn't know you'd be here."

Bella grinned up at Embry, waving her hand in a friendly gesture as he approached, throwing his gangly body down by her feet. Bella looked up to see Jake staring at them, unhappiness written all over every inch of his body as he threw his wrench down with a clang.

After a few months of being 'friends' with Jake, she had readily come to the conclusion he was hoping for something more, but with more than a year between them, it just wasn't in the cards. Funnily enough though, her precaution didn't stop her feeling a few softer emotions when it came to the effortless charm of Embry Call; a few years she'd told herself, and maybe they could be something more.

"So, Charlie finally let you out of his sight!" Embry jeered, looking up at her with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Nope, well not exactly anyway. I just happened to make a little detour on the way home." She said, grinning though she knew later her expression over this choice would need to exude something far more sullen.

"Wow. He's gonna kill you; you do know that right?" Jake joined in, seeming both a touch impressed and concerned by her sudden desire to throw out the rule book.

"Probably, but what's he gonna do? Ground me? It's not like he's let me out of his sight recently anyway." Bella said grimly with a side order of defiance. She understood the gravity of someone local going missing, but unlike her overprotective father who had probably encountered no worse crime than a few parking violations and some drunken brawls; she'd lived in a big city. The evening news in Phoenix had been a passing montage of violence and murder. So the disappearance of a strong, able bodied guy wasn't enough to rattle her in the slightest.

Embry shrugged at her and Jake went back to fiddling with his scraps of metal, the one thing she didn't enjoy about their friendship, was their passive responses whenever she challenged them.

"So, the Cullens are back!" Bella mused passively, pretending to pick some dirt from her nails as she viewed their reactions from her periphery. Both Jake and Embry had always been a little weird about the Cullens, well as weird as anyone could be about a family who managed to move to Forks and then away again, all within the expanse of a week.

It had been towards the end of her first week in Forks and the middle of her Junior year. When she'd pulled up to Jake's garage with news of the weird but alluring new kids at school, both Jake and Embry had passed back and forth glaringly obvious looks of interest and concern. They'd never indulged her though, calling her interest an obsession and at times when they made their denial almost a negative sleight on her character, the three of them had even argued.

"Oh." Jake said quietly, but Bella wasn't buying it. There was just too much history there for a simple 'oh'.

"Jesus guys, for the last time, would you just tell me what the deal is? What is it about them to make you act so freaky?" Bella pleaded, although she was more than aware it was likely futile.

"I don't know what you mean Bella." Jake said and she leapt on his words, almost jumping out of her seat in enthusiasm.

"Ha! Right there…" She waved her arms, trying to emphasize her point. "…You called me Bella, you never call me Bella!" Feeling a little smug, she sat back, crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Embry and Jake exchanged looks, the silence expanding, until suddenly they were both laughing. Loud, booming, expansive laughter, that spread through her gut like an irritating little itch.

"Fine. Keep your little secret; see if I care." Standing up, Bella threw down her arms petulantly, her actions shocking them both into silence. Stomping away she neither listened to their pleading words, nor did she stop her pounding steps when she heard someone bounding behind her. She was already pulling back the door to her truck when she felt an arm over her shoulder, muscles and force pressing the metal in an opposing direction.

"What the hell?" She exhaled loudly, angry by the physical intrusion.

"Just stop for one second Bella."

Whipping around, she turned to face Embry, his body moving too close with his arm still pressed over her shoulder. He wasn't much taller than her five foot five, but he seemed to easily fill the space around her with his expansive presence.

"Just stop. Okay?" He asked again, taking a small step forward.

Instinctively she took the remaining step back into the truck and paused; her mind bellowed that he was still too close. His eyes locked on hers and she could tell that though he'd come here with a different intent in mind, their proximity and his emotions were leading him down a very different path.

"Emb, don't do this. Not now. You know I don't want this." He nodded, but still he didn't move, his eyes darting down to her lips, the bottom of which she was worrying away under her teeth.

"Give me a reason?" He said, his voice soft, betraying the demanding nature of the question with his harmless soul.

"Because it's my senior year Emb, and the last thing I want to do is find a distraction, to have a reason why getting out of this town is going to be harder than just leaving Charlie."

He sighed, because they'd spoken about this often. Forks had always been a two year stop-gap, a release for her mother, and a chance for her father to finally know her as a person, but it was never meant to be anything more. Judging from her bare circle of friends that she kept at arm's length, it was something that she spent a great deal of time upholding.

"Okay. But in two years when I join you at Washington State, I'm asking you out on a date."

A light darkening of his skin appeared over his cheek bones and Bella couldn't help the light kiss she laid there, truly appreciative of the bravery behind his words.

"It's a deal." She said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head into his neck. He grasped her right on back and they didn't let go; not until the frantic voice of Billy Black scoured over the land.

"Isabella Swan!"

Pushing Embry back from her quite aggressively, she half ran over to Billy whose eyes looked dark and dangerous.

"Bella, you need to get back to Charlie. Now!"

She stood there, gaping at him for the longest moment, because even though he'd all but told her to get her feet moving, they weren't obeying.

"Now Bella!" Billy said again, the strain in his voice and the fraught tension in his eyes making her retreat a little into herself.

Stepping back, she almost tripped over Embry in her haste but she didn't stop to bother with any form of farewell. Stepping down on the gas, she knew the limits by heart, but struggled to obey even one of them. It wasn't like Billy to omit any kind of extreme emotion and was even less in character for him to so obviously rattle her without an apology. Keeping both hands on the wheel to handle the heavy truck, she wound through the narrow roads, the surrounding forestry pressing down around her, until finally she could see the shimmering lights of town. Unconsciously she sat back slightly, her spine loosening as turned down a familiar street, seeing houses whose occupants she could distinguish by name.

Pulling up to Charlie's little detached property, which was hidden back at the end of the road, the tension returned when she saw him twitching agitatedly on the porch steps.

He didn't give her time to pull the cab door open herself and though she could tell he was acting out of contorted emotions, she couldn't help the sting of repressed tears when he began to yell loud enough for the entire street to hear.

"What the hell have I told you Bella? How do you think it looks when I can't even get my own daughter to pay attention while the whole town is falling to shit?"

Almost physically retracting from his harsh words, Bella hitched back, the hand he held on her wrist burning as he pulled her from the truck and into the house.

Once safely inside, he let her go, but she was left to linger in the doorway, almost afraid to step forward as he paced back and forth maniacally.

"I'm sorry Dad. I just wanted to see Jake and Embry." She said softly, almost not wanting to draw attention back to herself. She'd never seen her father like this and it wasn't the fear of what he would do, but the fear of what he knew that kept her rooted to the spot.

"Dad, what's going on?" Bella asked tentatively. Her words seemed to stop him in his tracks, his eyes full of troubled pain as they met hers.

"Come sit down Bells?" He requested with a heavy sigh, placing himself down on the couch rather than his usual individual recliner. Her feet followed him and she gingerly graced the edge of the cushions, waiting for whatever words he needed to impart.

"Is it Sam?" She asked impatiently and he lifted his head, looking her over quizzically.

"No. This isn't about Sam… Bells, this is… well, it's worse…."

He stopped and Bella felt her lungs expand in preparation.

"We got a report a few days ago about a girl who's apparently been missing from the Makah reservation for a couple weeks now. Emily Young?" Charlie added, as if the name might mean something to her.

Shaking her head, Bella tried to beg him to go on without words.

"Apparently she's the cousin of Leah Clearwater, Sam's…" Before he could finish, Bella was speaking for him, "…fiancée, she's Sam's fiancée."

Charlie nodded and Bella couldn't help the adrenaline that seemed to be pouring throughout her body, feeling both afraid and impatient for what Charlie was trying to tell her.

"What about her?" She said eventually, knowing what she was asking but unwilling to put into words.

Charlie nodded and unlike the usual perfunctory space that was held between them, he rustled closer and she wasn't sure if he was trying to offer comfort or looking for some himself.

"She's dead Bells. A hiker found her in the woods this afternoon; it looks like an animal attack, but…"

He didn't need to say anymore, even to her it sounded far too suspicious, first Leah's fiancé went missing and now her cousin had shown up dead.

"I need you to stay put Bella. I know you think I've been too strict on you recently, but I can't watch you all the time and I know Jake's a good guy, but I don't like the idea of you going down there. Not until I can figure all of this out."

He was all but begging with her, asking rather than demanding. She understood both his fatherly and vocational predicaments. Knowing she had little space to maneuver, she agreed, nodding her head and hoping that in the morning they could reassess the situation somehow.

He left a few minutes later when his radio crackled a code she couldn't understand. Closing the door shut behind him, she wrestled with the chain, wondering just when her fingers had begun to shake. She didn't like feeling so weak, especially so unnecessarily, she thought. She bound up the stairs two at a time, laying out her books and flinging down her backpack, hoping to delve into a mountain of homework. It didn't happen though, and it wasn't only because her mind was caught in a whirlpool of horror. Nestled on the edges of a flourishing eco-system, animal calls weren't out of the ordinary in Forks. But on this night the whole town looked to their windows in disturbed interest; as barely ten minutes passed when the darkness wasn't penetrated by the piercing wail of a painful howl.


	2. Dead Calm

The phone shrieked through the house, penetrating the abject silence with its methodical insistence. Lifting her head from its sullenly downcast position, Bella stared out of her bedroom door to the landing, waiting for the overtly loud, recently installed answering machine to kick in.

Her senses strained, first listening to Charlie's barking, unfriendly greeting, a clear deterrent to anyone thinking about leaving a message, and then finally her ears met a warm familiar tone.

"Bella..." He started, his tenor sounds wrapping around her body as she pushed herself rapidly from the bed, darting down the stairs.

"Hey Emb, what took you so long? I thought you were gonna call me earlier." She asked, as she breathlessly alerted him that she was now actively on the other end of the line.

"Sorry Bells, I got caught up in some stuff with my Mom. So, are you coming over?"

Looking out the front window to her now nearly perpetually parked truck, Bella wrung the debate through her head for a few moments. For days it had been nothing more than school and home, home and school, a monotonous repetition she couldn't seem to escape, but she'd also promised Charlie.

"I don't know Emb. I mean, Charlie's been pretty…" She tried to think of the right word and finally settled on, "…absent." It was the only appropriate thing to call it, because he'd been home plenty, but he'd never really been _there._ "I kinda told him I would stay off the rez and I don't want to make things any harder for him right now."

Fingering the keys which hung on a hook right next to the phone, Bella wondered what harm it could really do. She just needed a break, an hour or so to remember that she was a person and not just a hermitic robot.

"C'mon Bella, he won't even know you're gone and anyway isn't it safer being here with me than just sitting in that house by yourself?" He pleaded, earning him a hidden smile for his efforts.

"Gee, thanks Emb, like I needed another excuse to freak out!" Looking over her shoulder irrationally, Bella swiped the keys from the wall, knowing any peace she normally found from the four surrounding walls had just been utterly shattered.

"So, is that a yes then?" He asked, and she could already hear the pleasured triumph in his voice.

"Yeah, that's a yes. I'm setting off now so I shouldn't be long." Looking over at the kitchen clock, she mentally calculated that with the time approaching four thirty and with Charlie at work until seven, that meant she had a good couple of hours before she was in danger of him being any the wiser.

Skipping out to her truck, she cast a quick glance over the tranquil neighborhood, pleased to find herself thoroughly alone.

Turning down Embry's street, a grin broke out on her face when she saw him already sedentary in his driveway, boredom obviously taking its toll as he amused himself by throwing stones out into the road. He was at her door before she had a chance to open it, and though she was enthusiastic herself, he all but pulled her out of the cab with wild abandon.

"You wanna head over to Jake's?" He asked with eager impatience, and while he thought he'd spoken with casual inflections, she caught him looking back over his shoulder in displeasure.

"Sure, whatever you want. What's going on in there that you're avoiding?" She asked, her hand gesturing to his house as they walked out into the street, taking their usual shortcut to Jake's more remote property.

"Nothing really, it's just Paul. My mom convinced him to come over, and he's been here for hours." Bella turned to see if she'd missed the black truck that she normally took as her own warning to stay away, but the street was bare bar for her own red behemoth.

"How'd she manage to do that, I thought he'd skipped town?" Bella asked, looking up into Embry's hazel eyes, shaded with a seriousness that only emphasized his discomfort with their topic.

"Well, he's back. And apparently she had some stuff for him, things that used to belong to my… our dad." Embry shoved his hands in his pockets and glared straight forward as they walked, his footsteps widening until Bella was nearly half jogging by his side. It wasn't a topic she'd ever brought up with him before, but she also knew from Jake that Embry had only found out Paul was his brother a few months prior. Their dad had rolled back into town for a few drunken days, full of poor intentions and a mouth which betrayed personal secrets with an ugly sneering slur. Bella had seen Paul around, knew enough to keep out of his way and on the one occasion when she had bumped into him, got a very distinct impression he didn't like her, mainly because he had no qualms telling her so.

Trying to change the subject, Bella flipped through the past few days of school, looking for anything interesting to comment on. "So, one of the Cullen's tried to talk to me." She said, not expecting Embry to stop dead in his tracks. Catching up to the speed of his movements, Bella whirled herself around to his rigid figure, waiting for his reaction.

"Oh." He finally said, looking over her shoulder through to the forest, clearly considering something. "So what did they say?"

Bella cocked her head slightly, once again trying to figure out why both Jake and Embry were so weird whenever she mentioned the eerie family. Embry seemed to catch on to her interest and without receiving an answer walked on, leaving Bella once again to trail behind.

"I said 'tried', not did." She offered, spiting him by being ambiguous herself. He seemed to relax with her words and she took the opportunity to broach something else that had been on her mind.

"Hey Emb… don't you think it's kind of weird about Emily Young? I mean, first Sam, and then her…" Bella had heard from Charlie that Sam was back in town, but it didn't stop her thinking the whole thing was just too weird and coincidental to be unrelated.

"Do you know something? I mean, they announced on the news that it was an animal attack. Did Charlie say otherwise?" Embry asked, his voice hard and suspicious as he turned around and eyed her cautiously. Bella felt a little stupid under his gaze and shook her head, telling herself that she needed to revise her list of off-limit topics of conversation to include Sam, Leah and now Emily.

"No, he refuses to talk about the case. I just thought it was weird, that's all." She shrugged her shoulders, trying to play off her words as something casual, but he didn't even flinch.

They didn't speak again until they reached Jake's garage, and it was a wonder with all her missteps that the silence managed to remain so content.

"Jake?" Embry called, peering into the gloomy little structure behind the main house, turning back to Bella with a shake of his head when his efforts came back empty.

"Maybe we should try the house?" Embry suggested, his feet already leading him in that direction. He was almost around the corner when Bella caught up to him, pulling him back into the shadows.

"Hey, do you mind if I don't come in? I mean, if Billy knows I'm here, he'll tell Charlie for sure." Seeing the obvious practicality in her dilemma, he turned back towards the house and then back to Bella again. "Yeah, but maybe it would be a good idea if you waited in Jake's garage?"

Bella nodded, but as he walked away, she couldn't decide if she preferred the idea of sitting in the dark little space alone, rather than out here in the open. A truck pulling up the driveway took her choice away and as she ran to the sliding tin door, hearing loud footsteps pound behind her, she hoped she'd moved fast enough to remain unseen.

"What the hell are you doing?" She cried as Embry pushed her aggressively down behind the car Jake was always trying to fix-up.

"Just, whatever happens, stay quiet." He growled out, but she was too confused to really obey just yet.

"Why? What's wrong?" She pressed against the hard ground as she tried to stand, but Embry just pushed her down again.

"I'm not supposed to be out either okay!" He hissed angrily and it was enough to silence her momentarily.

"Embry?" The foreign voice startled Bella and she immediately ducked down, pressing herself against the cold naked metal frame.

Listening intently, Bella could hear two distinct voices and then the sound of Embry's footsteps as he showed himself, a slice of twilight pouring in before Embry replaced the thin metal façade, concealing her behind him.

"…are you doing here, Embry? I told you to stay at home today and I remember very distinctly telling you that it wasn't a good idea to bother Jacob right now. You know you aren't well enough to be out wandering about." The voice was sharp and angry, and very clearly belonged to an irate Mrs. Call. The more rounded tone to Embry's voice made it impossible to distinguish his response, but a third sound, a loud sneering laughter which cut through his mumbling phrases, sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Slowly, the voices began to fade and when the only sounds she could hear were those of nature, Bella found some peace in her solitude. Sinking down to the ground, she couldn't help the little jolt of fear which spread through her like wildfire when she suddenly realized she'd been left here alone.

Minutes felt like impenetrable hours and as her eyes returned over and over again to an ever darkening sliver of visible sky, Bella knew she didn't have time to dawdle. This would teach her, she thought, as she tentatively stepped out from her hiding place, facing the encroaching bitter dusk.

Looking around for any signs of life, Bella decided against cutting through the trees as both she normally would have done, instead she flitted from the side of Jake's house to the hidden side of Billy's imposing tan truck, until a deep mocking gloat stalled her steps.

"I wondered how long it would take before you came scuttling out. You just can't stay away from that little brother of mine. Can you Swan?"

Lifting her head, she took a deep breath preparing to mentally defend herself, but what she found there wasn't anything like what she'd expected. Paul had always been good looking, annoyingly so, but as her eyes focused on him, she could see now that he was something else entirely. Leaning casually against a tree hidden in the shadows, she began to assimilate herself with the idea that he had been waiting there for her.

She couldn't put her finger on what it was about him that was so captivating, but she wasn't about to tear her eyes away either, so she had plenty of time to assess the subtle and monumental differences.

Bella had always guessed he was somewhere in his late teens or early twenties, but he suddenly looked like he'd aged five years, a deep maturity had settled somewhere within him, and certainly not in a bad way. His shoulders had widened, the muscles in his arms were now fighting their way out of his shirt and his face, she thought, my god, his face. His deep brown eyes, which were still full of devilish mischief, met with hers and just for a moment, she thought she caught something that looked a little like disbelief. But just as quickly as it came, she watched it retreat behind a cold mask of indifference.

He was malevolently beautiful.

The insults which would usually have followed didn't come, but she too wrapped up in just staring at him to notice. Feeling her cheeks grow red under his reciprocal attention, her eyes darted down, unwilling to see the moment when he dismissed her with a sneer, or cruel remark.

Now that she was no longer held in his gaze, she felt a sudden thicket of shame wrap over her. Not only had she been checking out Embry's brother, someone who had been overtly antagonistic towards her, but she was doing it publically and with very little shame. Taking her body back quickly, she raised her hands behind her to feel the smooth edge of the truck, following it as a guide as she retreated from his formidable presence.

Hearing the sound of twigs snap carelessly under his weight, she knew he was approaching and doing so fast. She pushed her whole body onwards, even though she could feel an insistent nag telling her to turn around. She hoped that maybe he would get the hint, but when she felt him draw closer, her heart flipped out of her chest. She was about to turn the corner at the end of the truck, when a strong hand gripped her arm, her whole body whirling around, moving her body to face his. With feet that weren't nimble enough to catch up with her upper-body, she reached out and placed her outstretched palm against his chest to steady herself.

His warmth was initially a little unsettling, but when she didn't take her hand away and she could feel the cold fade from her core, Bella did the very opposite of what she knew she should be doing.

She stepped in.

For the longest time she didn't pull herself away, mainly because the thought didn't even enter her head. But as she watched him stare at her hand in something that looked a little between hunger and anger, she retracted her fingers, pulling the sleeves of her sweater down to prevent any more foolishness.

"What do you want, Paul?" Bella asked unsteadily when he didn't offer the information himself. Her voice seemed to snap him out of his weird trance and the hunger definitely gave way to anger this time.

"I want to see what a Swan tastes like." His dancing eyes were staring hard into hers, but his voice was the thing that really sliced into her, shocking her with its ferocity.

Bella shivered involuntarily and when she tried to think of something harsh or witty to throw back at him, she came up with nothing. So instead of standing there listening to him try and quite successfully intimidate her, she whipped back around and tried to walk away.

His hand snaked instantly around her waist and as she begged her heart to come down from its maladjusted high, she felt his breath heavy on her neck, intimidating her with his proximity. She didn't want her feet to move, but she felt him encourage her to pivot on the spot, her body working in opposition to her mind.

Feeling her resistance, a dreadful sort of laughter seemed to roll from the very depths of his being.

His eyes ravenously darted over her body and she forced herself to remain still, to not feed into whatever intimidation tactics he was now employing. Finally, his eyes returned to hers and it was almost worse than the physical assessment, because now not only did it feel like he was staring right through her, but she could feel her cheeks betraying her by darkening in response. There was simply no denying it, she was hypnotized by him and she couldn't help the immoral thoughts that flitted through her mind to have him so close. Bella closed her eyes, hoping with his dark beauty gone from her sight that she would be able to think rationally once again.

Taking deep, steady breaths she counted to ten, but nothing could stop her body from vibrating with energy, reacting to the sliver of space between them. It felt like all her muscles were pulling forward, straining at the edges of her skin to be just that little bit closer. The only thing holding them back was the fragile hold she still had on her sentient mind, the one that reminded her that this could only be a ruse. Bella knew the minute she gave in she would hear a cackling laugh of satisfaction and her weakness would be used against her for the rest of her existence. So instead of stepping forward, she concentrated all her energy on pushing herself back into the truck.

She knew the plan had backfired the moment she felt the cold steel seep into her thin sweater. An icy metal pressure met her from behing, capturing her body in a warring dichotomy. Gasping, she felt him press down on her, and her eyes intuitively flew open to see just a glimmer of a smile on his lips, scarcely a moment before they crushed down on hers.

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><p><strong>an: Wow, first can say a huge big thank you to all of you who left behind a little love, alerted, or simply took time out of your day to read chapter one. I'm amazed by the positive reception and I can tell you, it freaked me out a little because now I'm nervous chapter two won't live up to expectations. Ahhh, I imagine my beta wants to berate me right now (sorry hun!) for all my self-deprecation. ****The next chapter will be up on Sunday, so hopefully I'll see you then too! **

**A big gushing thanks to my beta Twiticulate, quite simply, you rock chica! I hope I didn't mess up too much on my last minute changes.x**

**On a side note:**** I recently sent in my submission to the FandomFightsTsunami appeal, a one-shot featuring Jasper/Bella. Even if that's not your cup of tea, I can't encourage you enough to go and peruse the list of authors, because no doubt there will be someone there who's words you know and love! It's a really great cause, there are nearly 300 authors contributing and all you have to do is make a donation to receive the whole catalogue. So please, please do something wonderful today - go and check it out!**

**x**


	3. The Tell Tale Heart

His kiss wasn't the tentative softness she'd imagine would be her first. It wasn't a whispered loss of sweet innocence, nor was it overtly enjoyable. It was hard and rough, demanding and domineering. Her whole body was in complete shock, but as his hands gripped her hips, one sliding to the bare skin of her stomach, she felt something nameless and desperate rise within her.

Pressing her hands against his shirt, what started as an initial intent meant to push him away, suddenly became a source to pull him closer, and as his ferocity ebbed slightly she all but melted underneath him. Bella didn't know what was happening to her, but she knew without a doubt that she was a part of it. She felt herself returning his kiss, her body pushing back against the truck, not for support this time, but as a means to drive herself closer to him.

She wasn't sure how long she would have stood there betraying her sensibilities, but as a sharp set of teeth bit down hard on her lip, she was jolted back into awareness with a piercing influx of pain. Instantly she felt herself sober up from his intoxication. She knew her cheeks were flushed and she could hardly bring herself to chastise him when she had so obviously been a somewhat willing party to his actions, but she was still angry; at him, at herself, at everything. Feeling him pull away from her body, the loss of him unnerved her, the intensity of the emotion making her wonder just who she had become since waking up this morning.

Not willing to meet what she knew would be his cold unapologetic stare, she raised her fingers to her coppery lip, bringing them back to see a streak of pure crimson. Evidence of his cruelty brought frustrated tears to her eyes and though she was confused by everything that had just transpired between them, she knew crying now would be a terrible idea.

With her fingers about to reach up again, she felt him press down on her once more and automatically she closed her eyes, hiding from him in clear sight. Feeling his breath on her own, she stopped her lungs, the effort squeezing against her chest as she did so mid-breath.

Her heart began to race, pounding defiantly within her as she felt him all over her body, but it was the warm tingle as his tongue slid across her broken lip that almost sent her tumbling to the floor as her world all but collapsed around her with a burst of pure, unadulterated excitement.

He righted her with a firm hand to the small of her back and when she was secure with the responsibility of her own frame once again, he stepped marginally away.

Resting her body against the truck, she stared intently into his dark shirt, tracking the seams at his shoulders as she desperately tried to piece herself together again.

The last of the daylight spilled from the land as they simply stood in each other's company, and as darkness all but fell in moments; she lifted her hand to her eyes once more, the crimson proof of his crime turning a deep mauve under her scrutiny in the fading light.

"What're you doing, Paul?" Called a voice and Bella couldn't help herself as she focused her eyes to find the source. Trailing her gaze within the thick forest starting thirty feet or so behind where the truck was parked, she struggled to see any distinct forms within nature's obscurity.

Paul himself immediately responded to the familiar tones and as he walked away from Bella, leaving her propped up against the truck, he stilled at the edge of the tree line, waiting obediently.

An ominous feeling swept over Bella and though she wanted to turn and walk away, her whole body remained unresponsive, as though it needed an external directive in order to function again.

"Just having a bit of fun." Paul responded, not a hint of amusement on his face as three dark figures emerged from the abyss, two of them dwarfing what Bella was sure was a petite girl standing between them.

"Who's that?" One of the men asked and Bella felt her whole upper body shift forward as she worked to identify the shadows.

"It's Chief Swan's daughter. Isabella." Paul said, a wide smirk appearing on his face as though he'd done something particularly clever.

"And you're here with her because…?" The shadow persisted with his questions, and as Bella tried to figure out why he felt so familiar, she felt an icy shiver startle down her spine with Paul's answer; "Because for right now, she's mine."

With a light shrug of his shoulders, they all turned and though some buried instinct told her to retreat, her body had nowhere to go. The faceless forms began to step forward and as they approached, Paul morphed effortlessly into their ranks, forming a diamond of protection around the still unidentified girl.

As the shadows surrounding them dropped away, Bella wondered if she needed to pinch herself. Incased in the muscular protection of the intimidating men was a girl she had become aware of only recently, though it was a little strange not to see abject sadness or a trail of tears obscuring her flawless face.

"Leah Clearwater?" She asked quietly, hoping a female bond might be the source of her redemption in this strange moment, but the girl didn't respond. She simply looked up at one of her towering companion with eyes that held a silent deference.

Following her gaze, Bella wondered why he hadn't seemed so intimidating in his pictures. She wondered if the weak attributes of someone who could find themselves missing had tainted the way she read his picture in her mind. Sam Uley, the man who had essentially held her captive under her father's watchful glare for weeks now, wasn't anything of the helpless man she'd imagined him to be. Taller than Paul, if it was possible, and broader too, his watchful stare held a calculating intelligence that readily forged a thick knot in her throat.

Crossing her arms over her body, she pulled herself inward, trying to believe the soothing words in her mind that nothing could happen to her here, not in Billy Black's open front yard, a prominent and well known elder of the tribe.

Just thinking of Billy made her head whip around, her eyes methodically crossing every inch of the halcyon house, but the dark windows offered her no suggestion of hope.

A twig snapped somewhere close to her body and Bella darted her gaze back to the incoming group, finding them so much closer than they had been before.

It was clear now that the third of them was a man she didn't know. But from the dark strength in his eyes, the obtuse muscles he wore effortlessly and his intimidating presence, even alone, she would never be able to think of him as an individual. The three men were so similar, yet there was nothing in any one of them, bar a twist of physical features, that seemed remotely the same.

Seeing her focus, the stranger winked, his eyes glinting roguishly for her benefit and for just a moment, she thought maybe they were crossing paths by accident. Her eyes shifted to Paul with optimism and immediately his absorbed stare captivating her with his deep intensity. But what little confidence she'd found ebbed away, and as Sam stole her attention once again her errant thoughts disintegrating.

"Isabella Swan, I seem to hear your name a lot these days, little girl. I didn't think that was going to be a problem, but now it seems that you've taken that decision from my hands. I think perhaps though, you need to reassess your previous friendship with one of our own."

She didn't think it would be wise to correct him, especially as he clasped his hands behind his back, puffing out his chest further in a show of dominance. Nodding her head slowly, her only thought was how bad this was going to turn out for Jake or Embry, whichever he was referring to.

"Well, I'm happy to see that you agree. So how about we say, starting now, without an express invitation from myself or one of the Tribe's protectors, I'm not going to see you again, am I?" The question was out there, but she was fairly certain it was rhetorical. Looking over the four of them once again, she caught something that looked like pity in Leah's eyes and it was all she needed to see to know this was her cue to leave, whether her head was bubbling with questions or not.

Panic set in as her body finally stepped back into gear and without waiting to hear her fate if she disobeyed his directives, she turned quickly and escaped into the night. Eventually, after pounding feet and straining lungs, she found her way back to her truck. Taking a few necessary deep breaths to stop her hands from shaking, Bella knew as she drove away, her eyes glued to the inky road and nothing more, that they had let her go. Just as surely as she also knew something in her didn't want to return to this place, not unless it held the promise of kissing Paul again.

The whole way home, she tormented herself with memories of their kiss and the further she got from La Push, the less she found she could account for her actions. Turning off the engine as she sat in her father's driveway, she let out a little shudder of terror. Thrown haphazardly into the drive was Charlie's police cruiser. Never before had she believed that so much could be interpreted from something metallic and impassive, but she knew with absolute certainty that just inside that doorway, there was a whole heap of trouble waiting just for her.

"Isabella!" came a loud roar as she stepped through the door, her nerves almost detaching as she pressed herself back, recognizing she'd escaped one battle only to be caught in another.

"Where the hell have you been?" Charlie pounced into view, his eyes hard and dangerous as she tried to muster the strength to tell him the truth.

"I… well, I…. I was with Embry." Her voice was shaking from the exorbitant emotions she was trying to suppress, but this was simply one push too far. A single tear escaped, racing down her cheek in a cold desertion.

"Try again." Charlie said coldly, his fingers gripping down on the back of the couch, his knuckles turning white with tension.

"I was!" She protested petulantly, because this was actually the only truth she planned on telling him.

"Really, then why did I just speak with his Mom, who I had to call by the way, and she told me he's home with her right now and has been for quite a while?"

Feeling herself backed into a proverbial corner, Bella let out a little hiss of air between her teeth, knowing she wasn't going to get out of this without some sort of answer. "I was with him. I went to see him and then we both went to see Jake…" But he interrupted her before she could go on, as he yelled "Liar!" out across the living room.

"I called Billy too, eventually tracked him down at Harry's place, Jake's been with him all night and he didn't have a clue where you were."

Keeping her eyes diverted from the fire in his, she tried to carry on with shaking words. "…we both went to see him, I guess Embry didn't know he wasn't in, but then Embry's Mom showed up and took him away. I was waiting in Jake's garage and I guess I must have fallen asleep while I waited because when I woke up I was alone and it was dark and I came right home. I came back as soon as I could." Ending her lie with the truth, she chanced a look upward to see Charlie running a hand over his tired eyes, some of the wrathful flames extinguished. Bella knew deep down this was a symptom of his love, of the stress he was currently under, but it didn't stop her from acknowledging that she was also truly afraid of him right now.

"Just go to bed. If I say anything else right now, I know I'll regret it. Oh and Bella, if I find out you've been down there again without my permission, I'll send you to live with your Mom."

Pulling her exhausted body from the corner of the room, she slid past him and up the stairs, but by the time she was hidden in the dark safety of her bed hours later, she had to admit there were no words to justify her actions from the day. She had acted with purely selfish intentions and Charlie had every right to be angry with her. Throwing her clinging sheets from her restless body, she felt disgusted with herself. Not only that, but she had lied to him, omitted what she was now sure was an important truth when she'd kept her encounter with Paul and Sam to herself. Fighting her thoughts, she couldn't find a pure root to any one of her choices, something that worried her in and of itself.

Though she had been thoroughly scrubbed raw in the shower, she couldn't shake Paul from her skin. Even in the dark, wrapped up in a place that should have only invoked feelings of safety, she could feel his hands on her body, his fingers delving underneath her exterior and grabbing hold of a part of her that she hadn't even known existed.

The absolute worst thing, she decided, was that when she managed to push her guilt aside, she was actually feeling more disturbed about what she now saw as her ban from La Push. Both Sam and her father had all but named her persona non grata, something which yesterday, she somehow believed she might have taken in nothing more than a slightly aggrieved stride.

Tossing and turning all night, her dreams were wrapped up in a haze of muddy fantasies, tremors and nightmares, until in the coursing light she had nothing left to acknowledge. Her choices from the day before weren't simply going to go away, not because she so desperately wanted them to, but more importantly because without even knowing it, she had set something very dangerous in motion.

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><p><strong>an: Firstly, once again a huge thanks to Twiticulate, my super beta extraordinaire... as always you rock hun! Secondly, a huge ridiculously effusive thanks to all you readers for being so positive about this story, I'm knitting you all your very own pair of wolf socks right this very moment! **

**The next chap will be with you on Wednesday... and it's going to feature a Cullen or two. x**

**For those of you who also follow What About Love? - I'm working on the epi right now, so it should be with you in a few days. I'm sorry for the delay, but I didn't want to just throw something together for the sake of it.  
><strong>

**Oh and I keep meaning to do this, but I'm forgetful... I want to rec one of my absolute favourite wolf fics written by mel (dot) wolfgirl - (stupid ff and it's bizarre need to take out words - anyway, you know what to do with that dot there).If you haven't read it yet, get on over to her story The Imprinted Chronicles: Book One. She's just brought out Book Three and I just love how complex her pack is... and seriously her words deserve way more love than they get. **


	4. Flatliners

The shards of sunshine slashed across her exposed leg, her toes twitching unconsciously as she escaped through the endless forest, twigs and rocks slicing through her delicate skin as she desperately tried to outrun his encroaching steps. A sharp beep shattered the images and as her toes stilled, her fingers gripped down on the familiar blankets, reassuring her that it had all been a dream, nothing but a dark and twisted dream.

Opening her chocolate eyes, she flinched back from the harsh light, blinking furiously until she became accustomed to the invasive brilliance. Flicking off her alarm clock, she listened out intently, looking for any echoes of life in the small house. Pleased with the results, she threw back her blankets and shuddered in the frigid air. Charlie's insistence on keeping the bills to a minimum, combined with the bitter outside air, were something that took a little getting used to.

Jolting to the door, she snatched her thick robe from the hook and wrapped it around her body in rapid movements, her fingers working nimbly to tie the cord in a hard knot around her middle.

Feeling a little of her usual warmth return, she opened her door and her senses, seeking any signs of life. Standing prone at the top of the stairs, she finally concluded that she was alone. Knowing she wouldn't have to tiptoe around Charlie after their volatile week was a relief, so much so that her fingers stopped worrying the cord around her waist and the tight tension in her lips released. Mornings weren't exactly her thing and with an alarm set down to the last possible millisecond, there just wasn't time for _another_ conversation about how she needed to 'come right home'.

Flowing through her morning routine, Bella didn't allow herself to linger on anything negative and so even though her heart should have been troubled, she pulled up to school singing along melodically to the Country radio station, the only station her truck would allow her to play. Sometimes she imagined it had been previously owned by a cowboy, a strong silent type with an accent that could make her blush, but today wasn't one of those days.

No one stopped to stare anymore as her truck back-fired; no one paid her any mind at all. Like the leaves that had fallen to cover the land, or the rain which until recently had perpetually tumbled from the sky, Bella simply blended into the background. Sometimes the way her peers casually dismissed her existence hurt in a way she couldn't explain, but today wasn't one of those days either.

She shrugged her book-bag over her shoulder and like the other three thousand plus other inhabitants of the small town had done already today, she looked up to the barren sky with a perplexed expectation. Without knowing she was doing it, her tongue slid out, straggling across the edge of her broken lip. She didn't know she was being watched, didn't notice when across the parking lot a pair of ochre eyes flicked along, watching that tongue as it left behind a glistening trail. The obvious attention he was paying her did catch the attention of someone else and when he caught a deep warning from somewhere to his right, Edward whipped around, his survival instincts destroying years of trained patience in seconds.

Seeing his error, a symphony of chimes called out his name, and a raised eyebrow was all the reprimand he needed to resurrect his usually faultless facade. Looking over for the source of the venom pooling in his mouth, he fell into the darkness, looking for a mind that was hidden from his acute vision. Finding nothing but frustration for his efforts, he focused back on the girl, following her delicate frame as she weaved through the bodies in her path.

Bella slammed her locker shut, and then turned into the passing throng, following the languid pairs of white sneakers in front of her as she ambled to her first class.

The day seemed to muddle along endlessly and though she tried her best to maintain a certain pretence, she couldn't help but feel the drone of her teachers voices and the monotony of topics, all seemed to mesh into one long extended period of hell.

Her distraction was largely ignored, but occasionally someone brazen would step her way and ask if her father had any leads on the case of Emily Young, any suspects in mind for her now infamous demise. The factual details she'd heard had been sparse, but the town had managed to fill in the blanks nevertheless. A girl who had been a stranger on their lips had suddenly become a friend of a friend, a close relative, a regular at the local store. Everyone had something to contribute, but with each passing rumble that Bella heard, the more she felt she was actually hearing nothing at all.

Sitting down silently at the end of an occupied lunch table, Bella felt eyes raise in her direction, a question of sorts spoken only in silence. She knew them all by name, shared pleasantries when it was necessarily, but her own mental insistence that 'ties could bind' had kept everyone at an unnecessary distance.

When the eyes averted and no one made a move to approach, she exhaled out her satisfaction. Pulling out a bag of carrots and the poptart she'd hastily grabbed that morning, she thumbed through to the turned down page in her book, content to find some solace for a while.

"Is anyone sitting here?" A sweet voice asked, and the sight of the ethereal girl stopped the carrot in mid-air, poised to enter her mouth. When Bella still couldn't find the words to answer, the girl trilled out a happy little laugh and then took the seat anyway, her eyes wide and intelligent as she scanned Bella's face.

Pushing the carrot slowly into her mouth, Bella took the time to assess the situation, looking over the girl's shoulder to see the other Cullens watching on, but they weren't the only ones. As her eyes drew back in she saw they had the attention of the majority of the lunchroom too.

"I'm Alice Cullen." She said, her sparkling white teeth showing for just a fraction of a moment as her pink lips curved around her own name.

"I know who you are." Bella replied, still unsure what she had done to deserve an audience with this stranger.

"You're in some of my classes." Alice continued brightly, untroubled by the way the entire room had suddenly silenced, dozens of ears straining to each syllable as they fell from her tongue.

Bella diffidently looked at the girl, took another carrot from her dwindling supply and then slowly brought it to her mouth, chopping it in half with a resolute crunch. Knowing it required no words to do so and would possibly make up for the manner in which she was reacting, she pushed the bag towards the girl and smiled lightly.

"Oh, no thank you, but it's so very sweet of you to offer." Alice gushed, and Bella thought she couldn't have been more effusive had she planted, nurtured and then toiled to bring the vegetables to this very table herself.

"It's nothing." Bella murmured, hoping people would soon tire of their scrutiny and turn away.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything after school. My family just moved here, well, we just moved back over the summer, and I thought maybe we could go shopping or get some coffee or something." The rambling seemed to be out of character and although Bella felt bad for the girl, she didn't really have anything to offer her. Bella could remember them vividly from her first day at Forks High, mainly because Edward, the one with the oddly colored hair, had glared at her with such a venomous hatred she'd wondered if perhaps they'd met before. She'd hadn't even had the chance to figure it out, because the next day they'd been gone and now that a chance to solve the puzzle was presenting itself, she had far more pressing things to contend with than a sullen teenage boy.

"Sorry, but I have to go home right away. With everything that's been going on, Charlie… my dad, is feeling a little over protective." Bella tried to give the impression she understood his dilemma, and after her actions the previous week, she thought perhaps her performance could do with some work.

"Oh, well do you think he'd mind if I stopped by? We could just watch a movie or do each other's nails or something."

Bella's eyes immediately flashed down to her own gnawed stubs and then over to Alice's already perfectly manicured talons, even if the idea hadn't sounded so unappealing before, it definitely did when faced with her own meagre reality.

"I guess he wouldn't mind if we watched a movie. I mean, I know he doesn't exactly like me being alone." Bella said, trying to convince herself she wasn't agreeing purely because she was actually still quite nervous to be alone with Charlie. Alice didn't ask or care for the reason; she simply clapped her hands in delight and then began rattling off all the reasons why they were going to have an amazing time.

Bella listened to her waffle on all the way through the rest of lunch, and then through the last two periods of the day, after Alice happened to convince the watery eyed blonde who normally sat on her right to vacate her seat.

By the time they hopped up into her truck and Alice scrunched up her delicate little nose, Bella couldn't figure out whether she loathed the girl or really liked her. There was no space for anything in-between she concluded, but there was certainly potential for the balance to slip either way.

"Is your Dad home?" Alice asked as they walked up to the doorstep, Bella jiggling the rusty lock back and forth as she was always required in order to gain access. Alice tapped her little foot and Bella figured it was probably out of frustration, because the day was hardly warm and with a strong bluster just beginning to rock the nearby trees, it was guaranteed to be a frigid night.

"Sorry, I keep meaning to ask Charlie to oil the lock, but somehow it always slips my mind." Bella proffered and she couldn't help noticing that Alice was staring back over her own shoulder, her fists tightly clenched. Upping the intensity of her actions, the lock finally gave and Bella rushed Alice into the house knowing it was hardly the best first impression ever made.

"Do you want anything to drink? We have soda, but I can make tea or something if you want to warm up." But Alice simply shook her head while peering around the room in fascination, Bella wasn't sure what was so great about the place, especially since nothing had changed in the decor since she'd invaded Charlie's life. With almost fifteen years as an indifferent bachelor under his belt, that meant there was a hell of a lot of plaid and not much else.

"The movies are in that cabinet down there." She pointed and then headed to the kitchen to make a warm mug of tea for herself.

When she returned Alice was sitting on the edge of the sofa, her back so rigid and still that Bella felt in pain just looking at her.

"Did you pick something?" Bella asked, anxious for something to the fill the space between them, even though she knew, and therefore hated, nearly all their paltry movie collection by heart.

"I sure did." Alice grinned and as the trailers faded away, Bella smiled over at her unusual companion, relieved that at least they shared something of the same taste in films.

Sitting back into the folds of the sofa that was older than she was, Bella tucked her knees up and then watched comically as Alice mimicked her attempt at something like relaxation. It was the first time she wondered if maybe this was a new experience for Alice too, because from what she'd seen, the Cullens were hardly prioritizing their need to make external friends. The movie flowed on and though Bella kept her eye on the clock, she did find herself drifting into the lives of others.

She was just about to stand and turn the oven on ready for Charlie's impending arrival when the phone rang, shrilling through the house. Jumping at the noise, she quickly ran to grasp the receiver, pulling it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked, expecting Charlie's gruff voice to sound back, telling her he was going to be late, when really all he wanted to know was whether she was obeying his order to come straight home.

However, what she heard stilled her heart. A voice was keening into her ear, sounding so far in the distance that she could make out neither the speaker nor the words. Pressing the receiver a little firmer, she held her hand over her other ear, desperate to make sense of the unsettling sound. The sharp noise morphed in to a low guttural wail and though she wanted to hang up, she found that she just _couldn't_.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?" She plead desperately and then waited, the crackling silence on the other end letting her know the connection was still there. She didn't notice Alice coming to her side, but she did feel the cold of the girl's skin as she pried her fingers back from the phone, placing it gently against her own ear.

"Hello?" She said sweetly, as though she might be addressing a dear old friend. Bella narrowed her eyes and watched as Alice betrayed nothing, not a movement or flicker, until she steadily replaced the receiver in its cradle.

"What was that?" Bella asked, sounding far more shaken than she thought she was. Alice thought for a second and Bella wondered if the answer that was waiting for might actually be a lie.

"I don't know, but it sounded like an animal that was hurt. Maybe someone out hunting dialled you up by mistake." The answer was weak and really rather implausible, but Bella had nothing else and so she nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Listen Bella, I think I should go. I just remembered I told Esme I would help her with something this evening." Alice said as she hurried to the door.

Bella immediately speculated whether the phone call and her departure were connected, but when she prepared the question in her mind it sounded cynical and silly. Keeping her errant thoughts to herself, she bid her strange companion goodbye and then stepped back into the house, dead-bolting the door behind her.

Staring across the room to the phone, she found herself unable to look away, unable to forget that horrible wail she'd heard. It certainly sounded animalistic, but it was also unlike anything she'd ever known. Walking over to the opposite wall, she tentatively lifted the receiver again and when she heard the casual buzz of an open line, she smiled at her own foolishness.

Hitting a few familiar buttons she wound the cord casually around her fingers, waiting for Embry to pick up his cell. But when the line finally clicked through and her ears recognised what they were hearing, she was struck dumb. It could be a coincidence, she tried to convince herself, a crossed line, but when the wail screeched down the phone line into her ear, her hands began to shake violently. Not thinking about anything other than him, she raced out of the house, her hair whipping wildly in the growing winds. It didn't matter that the front door was left swinging back and forth on its hinges or that she was pushing her truck to nearly double the speed limit, the only thing that mattered was Embry and that she needed to find him… before it was too late.

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><p><strong>an: A big gushing thanks to my beta Twiticulate, who is simply amazing.**

**The next chapter will be up on Sunday, as will the epilogue of What About Love? (hopefully!). **

**Thank you to all you lovely readers, alerters and reviewers... hopefully I'll see you all again for chapter five. x **


	5. Little Shop of Horrors

La Push had never felt so far away and as the narrow corridor of trees whipped past, Bella tried to formulate some kind of plan of action, something more substantial than her current one, which simply read 'find Embry'.

The trees thinned slightly and as she steered the truck down through familiar streets, her head jolting back and forth as she tried to keep herself alive, while searching frenetically through the dark forestry. She slowed to take a sharp corner and when she felt the backend step out slightly, it sent a wave of irritation through her rather than fear.

"Come on you stupid thing." She snarled out, mentally chastising the old rickety vehicle for the first time since Charlie had presented it to her with apprehensive eyes.

Luckily for both her sanity and the trucks potential to drive another day, the trees finally gave way to a few small houses. Bella knew she should slow down, but her foot didn't lift from the accelerator as she roared on to Embry's dated home.

Leaving the truck running, she worked her way through a few silent prayers while running haphazardly across his overgrown yard to the dark and unfriendly front door. Trying to convince herself that Embry could have fallen asleep and that was why not a single light seemed to be lit, she banged ferociously on the worn red painted door, not caring about common etiquette or form. She didn't even care if she summoned the whole neighborhood, if only Embry would come to the door, his eyes heavy with sleep.

Banging as hard as her fist would allow, she shouted his name for good measure, but nothing happened, nothing other than a few curtains twitching from across the street.

Looking around herself in a slow circle, she paused with her eyes in the direction of Jake's house. It was the next logical step and as she sped back to her idling truck, she convinced herself that it was probably both of them playing a trick on her, intoxicating her with fear to titillate, filling a few hours of an otherwise boring day with a little shadenfreude.

At least someone was home at Jake's place, and though she was tempted to bang on the front door and alert Billy to his son's cruel humor, she walked swiftly to his little garage, certain she would find them both there.

Pulling back the slice of tin, she already knew it wasn't right. There was no laughter or sound of metal clashing against metal. There was only the dead silence of man and the bellowing sounds of nature as the wind whistled around her body.

There was little hope left in her as she approached the Black's front door.

With a knock that was full of tense energy, she could already feel the dread take back over as she recalled the shrill sounds of pain, which for whatever reason, she was now sure had emanated from Embry.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Billy asked uneasily when he opened up his door to find her biting her lip something rotten on his doorstep. Her eyes were wild and as she tried to compose herself into something resembling her normal self, she had to gulp back the threat of frustrated tears.

"Umm, is Embry here by any chance?" She asked, picking a piece of rust from the screen door with her fingernail. It seemed to take forever for Billy to actually respond and when he did, it was exactly as she had expected.

"No kiddo, I haven't seen him all day. Jake just popped to the store; you can come in and wait for him if you'd like." Billy rolled his wheelchair back slightly and she looked over his shoulder into the orange glowing warmth he was offering, but instead of accepting as she should, she shook her head.

"Thanks, but I really need to find him. How long ago did Jake leave?" She was only asking because she really didn't want to waste her time looking through the undergrowth along the way if she could help it.

"Oh, 'bout five minutes now. You should catch him there without trouble." Billy replied and while it looked like he wanted to say more, she didn't wait to find out. In her haste she didn't remember to thank him, nor did she apologize for intruding on his night.

Bella had only been to the local store once before, but from one end of La Push to the other, nothing took more than ten minutes, so it wasn't hard to find once again. The neon lights blazed in the atramentous sky and while she was sure they were meant to be welcoming, she didn't feel anything warm or inviting as she stepped across the potholed parking lot.

A little tinny bell declared her arrival and as her eyes scanned over the low shelves for Jake, she found her hopes dashed. Striding with purpose to the checkout area, she waited with growing unease as a small man chatted amiably about the weather with a very pissed off looking Leah Clearwater. Bella tried to remember if she'd known Leah worked here, but didn't linger on the thought for long as the man bid her goodbye and stepped out of the way.

"Isabella Swan, you shouldn't be here." Leah said dismissively, the lack of emotion in her voice lending itself to Bella's already tidal moods.

"Yeah and I promise tomorrow I will be all over that 'don't come around her anymore' stuff, but right now I really need to find Jake." She wasn't sure why exactly she'd said Jake over Embry, but Leah didn't seem interested enough to care.

"I haven't seen him and you should really get out of here, Sam's gonna be here soon." Leah looked pointedly at the door as if that would make her words carry far more credence.

"I get it, I really do. But Leah, I know Jake is on his way here and if that's the case, then I need to wait until he gets here." Bella insisted, hoping she was doing a convincing job of acting nonchalant.

"Fine doll, on your head be it." Leah said, raising her hands in submission. Bella wondered if she should say anything further in her defense, but Leah buried her concerns when she started to leaf through a magazine absently. She watched the still monotony of the girl for a few moments, but as headlights flashed in an arc through the dull glass of the small windows, she rushed to the door.

What she found there left her taking hesitant steps backwards, because not only was Sam stalking purposefully in her direction, but he was glaring clear through her as he did so.

"Leah, go in the back." He ordered the moment he was close enough for Leah to hear and when Bella turned, expecting some sort of protest from the girl, she only caught her lithe back retreating through a hastily hung wall of bright yellow beads.

"What're you doing here?" He demanded, standing so close that she had to crane her neck to see his face. What she found there made her wish she hadn't bothered, as his cold, soulless eyes forced a sliver of fear into her heart.

"I'm looking for Jake. Billy said I could catch him here." She admitted, omitting the truth when something instinctual told her it was the right thing to do.

"Why are you looking for him?" Sam demanded, his whole body pressing down on hers with gargantuan intimidation.

Taking a very slow step backward, she felt a little relief when he allowed the small distance. She didn't think she could answer his question without actually giving herself away, so she simply shrugged, angering him further with what he saw as defiance.

"Answer me Bella." He growled and as he stepped forward, she found herself shuffling back, their positions somehow becoming reversed in her attempted dance to get away. She now had a clear view of the back room where Sam's fiancée was ensconced and as she peered back into the darkness, she felt sure that Leah was watching them, allowing this to go on without doing a single thing to intervene.

"Bella. I'm going to give you one more chance." He loomed forward and as she backed up into a wall of pasta and rice, she knew there was nowhere left to go. His anger was almost palpable and she felt like a weakened animal, caught in the grasp of something most definitely standing on a higher wrung of the food chain.

A little flash of color caught her eye and she lifted her eyes to the jostling yellow beads. Leah was still half hidden in the shadows but she could just make out a pleading look on her face, something Bella decided very quickly was meant solely for herself.

"I got a weird phone call…" She started, listening to Leah's imploring eyes. Her words were quickly cut off by the now angelic bell, and with Sam distracted, she shuffled just a little further away from him.

"What's going on?" She heard a deep voice ask and without anything further she felt the weight of Sam's presence depart from her skin. Watching unfathomably, she couldn't believe the way he casually strode over to Leah as if he hadn't just been menacing her with his bulk.

"Come here." Came a different demand and when Bella looked up to find Paul with a heavy scowl on his face, she all but ran to his side, finding his intimidation far preferable in the present state of affairs.

When she was close enough, he wrapped his hand angrily around hers and tugged her outside, pulling her into the tree line with a stride that she couldn't match without upping her pace to a resistant jog.

"What happened?" He asked when he finally stopped moving, placing her against a tree where he then proceeded to sandwich her with his own taut body. She knew there was something very dominant about the position and while it was very similar to what Sam had done, it invoked a completely opposing instinct.

Letting her eyes meet his, she begged him to understand, to see that she wasn't here just to test some stupid decree.

"I got a weird phone call and it freaked me out." She started hesitantly and when she didn't continue fast enough, he gesticulated angrily for her to go on. "My friend thought maybe it was an animal being killed and someone calling me by accident, but when I called Embry a few minutes later, I heard the same thing again. I came here to find him, to make sure he's okay. But I couldn't find him, and then Billy told me that Jake was on his way here. Anyway, Sam showed up and wanted to know why I was here, what I was doing." The words gushed out all over him and just saying them, she felt that surge of panic take over once again.

"Embry's fine. I just saw him two minutes ago down on River Street walking home…" He responded instantly.

There was an assurance in his voice, a confidence that she didn't even think to question. The relief she felt was immediate and so when he pressed his body up against hers with more purpose, everything else flew away, every worry and fear she had carried with her for the past hour or so, was replaced by an uncontrollable need.

Just as she thought he was going to kiss her, he lowered his head to her neck, drawing her deeply in to his lungs. Pulling back, she watched his eyes flicker all over her body, angrily looking for something she couldn't see. "Who was this friend of yours? The one you were with earlier?"

Bella's forehead creased down and she began to worry away at the bark of the tree pressing into her thighs. "It was Alice Cullen; she just came over to watch a movie, to keep me company until Charlie got home." She couldn't find the reason within herself for why she felt like she needed to justify this to him; she just did.

Lowering his head once more, he ran his nose from the base of her ear all the way down to where her skin disappeared behind a fabric shield.

She was holding her breath as he circled back up her body and then suddenly he was upon her. His lips found hers so quickly and so ferociously that she felt her head slam back against the tree. The power of him seemed to almost possess her and when he lifted her body, she wrapped her legs around his hips with a gentle throaty moan. He was dangerous and the desperation she felt around him flooded her body with a recklessness that she had never wanted to entertain before.

As he moved from her lips to the sensitive flesh of her throat, she felt his hands paw at the hem of her shirt, exposing more and more of her flesh to the bitter night. There was no moment when she felt the need to stop him and as he ground himself into her soul, she could feel herself twisting up inside, losing herself to him.

His nimble fingers had all but removed her shirt in seconds and as he thread his palm down over her skin, he brushed from the tip of her neck all the way down her body, leaving behind a ripple of warmth. She'd never felt so intoxicated before and as his tongue demanded her attention, she felt him push aside the cotton of her bra, her nipples tingling against the chill of the air and the heat of his hand. She thought she just might faint in his touch as she convulsed beneath him, the exquisite unknown pleasure of his attention driving her wild for more.

"Bella? What the fuck?" A voice yelled, slamming her back into reality.

Her memories finally aligned with her mind and she quickly established that the voice belonged to Jacob. Paul lifted his head just in time for her to see as her friend stepped out from the darkness, his eyes frosty as they took in her compromised position. Her head whiplashed forward from the intrusion and as awareness trickled back into her blood stream, she caught a look of pure loathing on Paul's face, a look that triggered something archaic in her system as she twisted her neck to the side.

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><p><strong>an: I can't believe how quickly Sunday came... I've made a few last minute edits/additions to this chapter, so although my lovely beta Twiticulate has caste her wondeful eye over the majority of what you read, as always all errors are mine!**

**To all you readers, thank you so much for the love you've shown this fic... the next chapter will be with you on Wednesday. x**

**p.s. I promise the last chap of What About Love? is on the way. Endings has always been the hardest for me, but it's coming soon... I swear!**


	6. Wrong Turn

Paralyzed was the only word she could think of to describe it, and though she could see Jake approaching from the corners of her periphery, she wondered how he could be so obtuse when she was so very alert.

Paul's body was still pressing hers back into the tree, but his eyes were locked on Jacob, telling him silently that if he had any sense, any intuition at all, he should be walking away.

"Seriously Bella, I get home to find from my Dad that you're wandering around looking for Embry, he then practically forces me back out here to find you because apparently you're frantic or some shit and I find you all but fucking Paul up against a tree. Some shitty joke that is!" Jake sneered and though she wanted to tell him to shut his mouth because she had seriously been worried, she also knew how bad this looked from his point of view. Her hands which had previously been gripped over her exposed body began the uneasy task of redressing herself without revealing anything more, feeling highly confused within as she did so.

"You better watch your fucking language, Black." Paul said in a voice that was so low and threatening, Bella almost whimpered.

"You're kidding me, right? I don't take orders from you!" Jacob didn't seem to heed any of the warning signs he was being given and without taking his eyes from the threat, Paul gripped Bella's waist and slid her slowly down the tree, keeping almost all of his body firmly against hers as he did.

Turning slowly, Paul's shoulders rolled slightly and Bella could feel the energy begin to coil around her. This was what danger tasted like, she thought, but Jake was still bizarrely oblivious. A part of her wanted to call out, to warn him of the stupidity he was entertaining, but she also felt a little embarrassed to be caught in such a precarious position.

"I don't care who you are Jacob Black, or who you're going to be. I suggest you back the fuck away from what's mine." Paul snarled and though there were many things to be interpreted from his words, she was stuck on chastising herself for feeling a rush of something sweet when he'd labeled her as his, even if he had made it sound as though she was one of his possessions.

"Great, just what I needed! More cryptic bullshit to get me through the day." Jacob muttered and Bella thought perhaps this was a sign he was about to retreat. She only had words to go on, because even though she was standing on her tip toes, she could see neither above nor around Paul's shoulder.

"Tell you what, why don't you hand Bella back over and you can go back to fucking everything you see, everything _but_ her?" Jacob reasoned in a callous voice and for a moment, Bella wondered whether he'd slipped in Paul's promiscuity for anything but her own benefit.

"Get the fuck away." Paul said, taking one step forward, but keeping her back with a strong wide hand splayed across her stomach.

At least from this new position she could see Jacob, but once she had the view, she decided it wasn't exactly one she was going to savor. Jacob, Jake, her usually placid and perpetually cheerful friend, was all but vibrating with disgust, the harsh look in his eyes escaping over Paul's shoulder to catch hers just for a second.

"No. Not until you rethink your choice of prey." Jake said, standing his ground as he folded his arms across his chest in what Bella assumed was intended to be a stance of defiance.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with Black, and if you do what I think you're going to do, you're going to cross a line that even you can't take back." Paul warned, but there were simply too many words missing, too much beyond the realm of knowledge Bella and Jacob possessed for the warning to carry its intended weight.

Bella didn't want to be standing there anymore. While she couldn't deny Paul's hand pressed against her stomach had kept her feeling somewhat calm, she also had no intention of getting involved in a brawl, especially when she couldn't even really figure out what they were fighting about.

"I think maybe I should go… I mean Charlie is going to go crazy when he finds out I'm gone and it's not like I even have an excuse anymore." Bella said as she gnawed her lip, her hand lifting to pull Paul's away from her body, but somehow she ended up just resting hers with his, her fingers fascinated by the potent feel of him.

"Jesus Bella, what the fuck is with you? Did he drug you? Because I seriously thought you were better than this." Jacob interrogated, his eyes narrowing as the question seemed to grow roots in his mind.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" He rephrased and redirected his question, whipping around to face Paul once again, but all he got in response was a sneer and then before she could calculate his motions, Paul had turned around and was kissing her again.

Instantly she forgot about Jake and everything that had come before. All she could think about was the sweet taste of his lips, the way his hand intoxicated her with its strength as it spanned almost her entire stomach. The only thing she could deduce was that the feelings he emoted in her seemed to come from nowhere.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Jacob called and Bella felt Paul's body jolt just slightly. Whatever Jacob had done was enough to stop their kiss, but not enough to actually move Paul.

"Stay there and don't move one fucking inch." Paul commanded and Bella felt herself nodding even though she knew that she really should be running in the other direction and not setting woman kind back by a hundred years with her acquiescence. Paul turned so gracefully and so fast that she almost didn't see him move, but she did hear the sick sound of bones crunching as he punched Jacob and though she felt weak as she saw the blood spurt from his nose, she was frozen to the spot.

"I told you to stay the fuck away from her." With some finality Paul kicked Jacob to the ground and stood over him, his shoulders high and set. Whatever show of dominance this was, it seemed to be too much for Jacob, because without warning he was rearing up, the loud roar of anger in his throat coming from nowhere.

Bella felt like she was drowning in fear and instinctively Paul started to step backwards. While she could see less and less as Paul got nearer, she clearly caught Jacob's body twisting with itself, shaking so violently with anger that she reached her hand out to grasp Paul and pull him in front of her.

It was the last thing she visibly saw before she felt her head whip back as Paul threw himself against her, a sharp tangle of pain shooting through her body as everything erupted in a chilling thunder, and then the world which had always been flowing with colors turned black.

"I think she's waking up." Someone called out from nearby and Bella squeezed her eyes shut a little tighter, hoping whoever it was didn't mean her. As she wrestled through the murkiness of her mind to find all of her senses, she recalled an attack of pain, and just as she did, it washed through her body once again. Reaching her hand up to the back of her head, she winced as she found a hardened lump and then tangles in her thick hair where blood had dried in uneasy clumps.

Listening intently for more voices, she heard the low intonating buzz of conversation, too low to catch any specific words. Something clicked and then footsteps drew nearer until she could hear something sliding, She really didn't want to, because from the vibration of sounds it was clear she wasn't alone, but she opened her eyes anyway, blinking once or twice to perfect her vision.

"How're you feeling?" Asked a voice from the corner of the room and Bella bypassed the shabby floral wallpaper which had initially caught her attention, her eyes searching for the figure in the darkness.

Leah was standing sharp as a razor tucked against the adjoining walls, her eyes wide with fright as though she had something to fear from Bella.

"I hit my head?" She asked, despite having already pieced that back together herself.

"Yeah, seems like you got in the way. Paul was just trying to protect you." Leah added as something of a disclaimer and Bella wanted to tell her that it was hard to get in the way when you were trying to make your whole body mould into a tree trunk, but she didn't.

"From what?" Bella asked, and when Leah chose not to respond, she clarified further. "You said he was trying to protect me, protect me from what?"

It looked for a moment like Leah was going to just go on pretending the question hadn't been asked, then suddenly she slunk down to the floor, uneasy with the information she possessed. "You won't believe me, but he was trying to protect you from Jake."

Normally Bella would dissolved into laughter at the thought of Jake being able to cause her harm, but the vivid memories of his anger left her feeling too numb to really react at all.

"Is he okay? I mean… are they?" Bella asked as she tried to sit up, clearly wincing but getting no help from her guarded audience.

"Which he?" Leah asked, ignoring her correction.

Thinking about which of either Jake or Paul she'd actually meant only made her head hurt more, so she simply mumbled out, "forget it," as she threw her legs over the side of the bed.

"You can't do that." Leah said, not leaving Bella any time to respond before she rushed forward and practically threw her back on the bed.

"Why not?" Bella asked, finding the frantic staccato movements of the girl a warning to adhere, at least for now. Leah took a sharp step back as though Bella was once again infectious and then started to gnaw on her lip.

"The Doctor said you have to stay in bed, that you might have a concussion. I have to make sure you stay here." Leah finally proffered, not really attempting to vouch for the authenticity of her reasoning.

"I want to see Jacob." Bella stated and then thought perhaps she should have said Paul, but while he seemed to hold more sway with Leah, she also doubted he would aid in her attempt to escape.

"He's busy right now." Leah said quickly and seemed pleased to be back on ground she could easily cover as her face softened into a more relaxed form.

"Well, what about Charlie, my dad? He'll freak when he knows I'm here." Bella tried.

"Billy called him to tell him what happened. I explained that I would look after you here and he agreed it would be a good idea. I'm training to be a nurse." Leah said proudly.

Bella couldn't help the groan that found its way out of her mouth. "He's going to kill me."

"Why?" Leah asked, the first effort she'd really made at something that amounted to a normal conversation.

"The same day Sam told me I wasn't welcome, Charlie, well… he told me if I came down here again he'd send me back to live with my mom, in Florida." The words were easy to produce, but once her sentence was done Bella found herself listening only to the sounds of their ingoing and outgoing breaths.

"That wasn't exactly what Sam meant…" Leah began and as Bella lifted her head to get a better look at the girl, she saw Leah's eyes harden; realizing she'd made a mistake by being so forthcoming.

"It sounded pretty clear to me." Bella scoffed, hoping Leah would break whatever ties were binding her.

A silence fell awkwardly between them and Bella couldn't help but use the obdurate time to assess her surroundings. Whoever had decorated this room had done so a long time ago, the curtains were sun washed, the carpets worn and old-fashioned, and the wallpaper was falling away in large chunks. She felt dirty just being there, but she needed something more than just four walls to ascertain her whereabouts.

"Where am I?" She asked, thinking the answer wasn't going to be forthcoming. But Leah surprised her as she looked around, her nose turning up slightly in obvious distaste. "Sam's house."

Bella felt her heart begin to beat a little more violently, just the thought of Sam sending her into a minor panic.

"Why? I mean, why am I here?" She asked, trying to keep some calm in her voice.

"Paul brought you here; he didn't know what to do with you and I guess this is their fallback plan when all else fails" The way she said it made Bella feel like a useless sack filled with worm infested apples, and while she wanted to ask who 'they' were, she didn't.

"Great, well, that's just wonderful." Bella muttered sarcastically. "Does Sam live on the rez?" She asked, hoping Leah would mention a street she knew so that if she ever got a chance to run, she had a hope of making it beyond the front porch without running in circles.

"I guess it would still be classed as Quileute land, but it's right on the edge, in the forest." Leah mused, the question eliciting nothing more than a bored drone.

Bella lay back and thought about her predicament. She was stuck here alone with a girl who's fiancé seemed intent on harassing her, she had left home against her father's express wishes, kissed a boy when she should have been finding another, and then somehow managed to inadvertently get herself hurt during a very confusing fight.

"Do you think maybe Sam has some painkillers, my head really hurts?" Bella said genuinely, though she also secretly laid hope that Leah would need to leave the room. Unfortunately though, Leah just pulled out a little orange bottle from her pocket, something she assumed the elusive doctor had left behind. Instead of merely handing it over, she paused for just a second and Bella watched as her lean fingers caressed the label, her eyes seeming almost forlorn as they tracked her thoughtful caress.

"Water?" Bella asked wistfully when Leah finally threw the little bottle her way and Leah managed to look a little sympathetic as she shook her head.

"Sorry Bella, Sam said it's important you stay up here like the Doctor recommended and I can't be sure that's the case if I up and leave. You'll just have to swallow them dry."

Reading the label, she noticed there was a warning about drowsiness. She didn't feel like she had a concussion, but as her eyes followed the neat little black script, they paused over the name.

_Emily Young_.

Bella's fingers began to shake, the fragile movements beyond her mental capacity to control.

She found herself stoking the label just as Leah had been doing moments before and when she looked up, hoping for some answers, Leah was glaring at her, almost willing her to speak. Bella rolled around the questions in her mind, thinking how she could actually communicate anything she was thinking, what it would mean to physically say the words aloud. Under Leah's watchful, intimidating eye, she simply wrapped her palm around the lid. It felt wrong as she tapped out two tablets on her palm and as she threw back the tablets and tried to swallow them, she coughed as each one caught in her throat like glass.

"It's not what you think. Just don't ask, okay?" Leah spoke ominously into the silence and Bella found a morsel of inner strength left inside as she openly stared into a pair of haunted brown eyes. Realizing she didn't possess the courage or energy to ask how Leah had come to possess that little orange bottle, she wriggled down, drawing her knees into her chest as she wrapped herself in blankets that smelt like wet soil. As the silence spanned out and the world began to ooze at the edges, she felt a frisson of fear ebb through her body. She had no idea what she had walked into, and no clue what it meant to be swallowing the tablets of a girl who had recently shown up dead.

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><p><strong>an: A big thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate and to all you readers. Also, I'm feeling like maybe I need to say something, a bit of a disclaimer if you will. Judging by the feedback I'm getting, there's obviously a lot of confusion right now. I've tried to answer all your questions as thoroughly as I can (if I missed you, I'm sorry) without giving too much away, but I think it's important to note that my Pack isn't going to be Twi-canon (you've probably figured that out by now!), they aren't going to dance on rainbows, and to find out exactly why that is, will require a little patience. I'm probably going to shoot myself in the foot by saying this, but if you're struggling with the way things are going, it might be an idea to step back and join me again in a few chapters time... I'll miss you, but I'll also completely understand. That being said, I welcome any questions you have, but I can't promise to answer if it might compromise the mystery for you... but please have faith that there is a reason for everything, and everything will be explained in time.  
><strong>

**Okay, I'm gone on for waaaay too long here. Enjoy, I'll see you all on Sunday - well... those of you I didn't scare away.. ooops x**


	7. Panic Room

Shadows danced demonically across the walls, the sharp edges twisting back and forth like mangled fingers reaching for her again and again. The screech of branches scraping over old glass made her fingers clamp down on the lumpy blankets, seeking comfort in something that had previously made her feel a ripple of revulsion.

"There's nothing out there to be afraid of." A deep voice growled from the corners of the darkness. Straining her eyes, Bella skimmed over every surface, searching for the source. At first she could only see bare feet, but as she adjusted to the dim light she could finally make out the silhouette of a man, a huge, imposing man.

"Sam?" The word slipped out and she wanted to pull it back out of the air, but it just hung there between them as he refused to respond, and she knew intrinsically that it was him.

"Where's Leah?" Bella asked as she sat up slightly, trying to focus beyond the fuzzy residue left behind by the painkillers.

"Emergency at the hospital." Sam's voice echoed from the corner and against her will Bella found her eyes roaming over his hunched frame, his fingers rolling something back and forth in the shadows.

"I think maybe I should go now. I mean… thank you, for letting me rest here and everything, but I really think I should go." Bella grimaced when she heard the clear desperation in her voice.

"I don't think that's a good idea Isabella. After all Billy has already called your father and told him the Doctor thought it was best you remain here. You'll stay tonight; we have a few things we need to discuss regarding what happened." Sam's eyes were still obsessing over whatever was in his fingers, but no matter how hard she tried to see what had him so mesmerized, it was just too dark and his body was simply too far away.

"What do you mean? What happened when? Tonight?" She asked, her speech a little slurry as she tried to figure out what he wanted from her. "Nothing happened. Jake and Paul fought over something and then I hit my head. I'm not even sure how."

Sam nodded his head slowly and she felt like she'd pleased him somehow. She just didn't know how and whether she actually wanted to do it again.

"What did you see before you hit your head?" He asked slowly, his voice hard and demanding, a sound that made her cower slightly. She hated to admit that he scared her, but with his size and his unending temper, how could he not?

"I don't know, Paul was telling Jake to back off, telling him he didn't know what he was getting himself into, but Paul was standing too close and he was just too big, I couldn't really see anything but him." Just thinking of Paul and the way he'd pressed her against that tree sent a course of tingles all over her skin. She wondered if he really knew that she was here, feeling trapped in a room with a man who made a point to intimidate her at every turn. Something hopeful inside her wondered if he did know would he come to her rescue?

"What happened? Where's Jacob?" Bella asked with a timid voice, knowing already that the answer wouldn't be forthcoming.

"Just like you said: they fought, you hit your head. Jacob's back home with Billy by now, I'm sure." She didn't know why, but Bella knew he was lying, something in the ease with which he'd offered the information perhaps.

"Where's Paul?" Bella persisted and for the first time Sam raised his head, his eyes slowly taking in every inch of her. She couldn't help her fingers as they drew the blankets higher, trying to hide from his penetrating stare.

"It took you a long time to ask that question. For all you know Jacob could have killed him. He's capable, you know." Sam said with a wry smile and Bella thought for a second it was some form of wit that she wasn't familiar with, but neither of them were laughing.

She didn't feel like Jacob had it in him to kill Paul. The difference in their size cast aside, he just didn't have that kind of malevolent streak. Then a flash of him crossed her memories and she remembered the way he'd vibrated with hatred. The thought had her on her feet in seconds.

"Where is he?" She demanded, finding an inner strength that she didn't know she possessed.

"Sit down little girl." He hissed, drawing himself up to his full height, towering over her in the tiny box of a room. Her strength vanished and her knees buckled, her instincts warning her that this was a fight she couldn't possibly win.

"Please, just tell me they're both okay?" Bella pleaded, hating her weakness but revelling in it at the same moment as she drew her knees to her chest on the rickety single bed.

Instead of answering her, his whole body began to vibrate with laughter. The angry fire in his eyes making what should be such an open, friendly action, something sinister and hard.

"Paul's fine. Which you should already know, by the way. I think you can find out for yourself how Jacob fared." Sam seemed to be enjoying his twisted little game and Bella spiralled in self-loathing to feel the fear she'd felt float away. She didn't know Paul. It was true that he'd kissed her and admittedly she'd kissed him back, but she didn't know anything about him other than the feel of his lips on her skin, his body pressing her into woodland forestry. However, she did know Jacob and would even go so far as to count him as one of her best friends. She couldn't make sense of her own emotions, because though she felt uneasy to know that Jacob might be hurt, she didn't experience the level of panic she had with Paul. Just recognizing how fucked up that was, how very wrong, made her head hurt all over again.

He took a thick step towards her and her etiquette rushed out into the arid night air as she scooted back, pushing her body so hard into the metal bars of the clinical headboard that it actually hurt. She didn't know if she should shout out, or if anyone would come if she did, but she could already feel her heart drilling an escape hole through the woven pieces of her flesh.

The bed creaked and shook slightly as he lowered his weight, and she curled her toes tight into her body when she imagined his hand reaching down and tearing them off.

It wasn't just his body that was imposing, and for a moment, as she considered just how powerful his presence was, he reminded her just marginally of Paul. Just as quickly as it came, the thought left, tearing at her spirits with its departure.

He was watching her, even with her eyes averted, she knew. The remnants of his poisoned stare trembled all over her body. Her fear peaked and she chanced a glance over to the doorway, knowing it would be her only hope. It seemed like miles away, but as she lost her internal battle, she noticed him playing with that unknown object again.

Up close she could make out the form but not the color, and sadly it was enough. Bella didn't want to fathom what Sam was doing holding on to Emily's pill bottle. Let alone consider why he was clutching to it reverentially. It had been hard enough to ignore when it was just Leah, but with Sam, with his sinister attitude, his bizarre disappearance and now his all-encompassing presence, it was just too much.

Darting forward, she caught him off guard, but she'd only managed to wrap her palm around the tarnished door knob when she felt his callous hands around her waist, pulling her back with little care. She didn't understand that he could crush her between his fingers, that the force he was using was actually highly controlled, but she had no reason to either. All she knew was that his fingers hurt as they bore down into her flesh and the scream that fell from her lips and pitched out all over the house, was something that tore from her throat with abandon.

"You need to calm down." Sam advised in a loud cruel malevolence as he ripped her away from the door and while it was enough to silence her voice, it wasn't enough to stop her whole body from wriggling against him, telling him over and over again that this was wrong.

The door snapped open, banging aggressively against the wall as it swung back and forth.

"What the fuck?" Came the voice from the doorway, and though her senses were overloading with the bright light streaming in from the hall, she knew it was Paul.

Sam loosened his grip and Bella fell to the floor, her limbs landing in an uncoordinated jumble. Scrambling herself together, she fled back to the corner of the room, panting uncontrollably as she tried to figure out how and when this had become her life.

"What the fuck's going on Sam?" Paul asked again, something melancholy and slow finding its way into his question.

Bella's body began to tremble violently and she wondered if this could be the after effects of adrenaline leaving her system and not simply the desperate need to cross the distance between Paul and her as she feared.

Paul took a step into the room, his dark eyes flashing over everything, lingering on her body for just a second. She didn't know if it was his intention, but he stood directly between her and Sam, and once again the only clear sight she had was of the wide strength of his shoulders.

"What're you doing up here Sam? You promised me it would just be Leah." Paul said quietly and Bella felt like he was coaxing his friend, asking him to produce a reason that would appease the anger she could feel rolling from him.

"She had to go to the hospital. I just wanted to see if she was the same…" Sam's voice trailed away and Bella almost felt sorry for him, because there was something so alone, so far adrift in his voice that it spoke to her soul.

"Get out." Paul hissed and stepped forward, opening up her vision. Even though she expected Sam to reluctantly stand and leave, he didn't even twitch. She watched as a macabre smile drew up his lips, his white teeth bared, a warning flash of white in the gloom.

"I don't think she's even yours, you know. She doesn't react the way she should, at least she's nothing like…" Paul cut him off with a stern; "Enough." The bellowed word made Bella jump slightly.

"She scares easily, doesn't she?" Sam guffawed and didn't seem to mind when no one else found his humourless joke funny.

"You really need to leave, Sam. You know you have no authority when it comes to her." Paul said slowly, as though he might be reasoning with a child.

"While that might be true, you forget that I still have authority over you. Don't make me send you away." Sam lifted his hulking body up to its full height, standing over Paul by a few inches. The room didn't feel big enough for the two of them and when a feminine lilt called out from somewhere in the house, Bella wondered whether she could run now and escape this place.

"Sam, are you up there?"

Both men looked unwilling to stand down from their impasse and Bella exhaled in relief when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Sam? What're you doing…." The question dropped from Leah's tongue when she spied Sam and Paul standing chest to chest, the air of animosity and defiance strong enough that she stepped back into the hallway.

"Sam honey, why don't you come with me?" Her voice lowered and Bella wondered if Leah just might be crazy. Sam's shoulders seemed to drop just slightly under her focused stare. When Leah waltzed into the room and pushed herself between the warring giants, Bella felt her own body twist in fear.

"Sammy…" Leah's voice sung as she trailed her fingers up his arms, pressing herself into him in a very obvious way.

Bella felt uncomfortable watching the intimacy of their relationship unfold in front of her, and just as she was considering looking away, Leah began leading Sam from the room. The cold nothingness in her eyes rippled all over Bella's skin as his hand roamed unimpeded over Leah's body.

The room, if possible, felt even smaller with them gone and while she didn't really want to look his way, her eyes moved to him of their own accord.

He had only moved to bow his head, his whole body still wound, ready for battle.

"Please tell me he didn't touch you?" Paul's voice escaped, blending in with the thick tension.

Scrambling, she wondered what she was doing, but something stronger than her rational brain pushed her forward, rising to her knees.

"He stopped me from leaving; that's all." She replied, aware that the feel of Sam's grip on her skin had faded in her memory to something manageable.

"Show me." He demanded and without need for another word, she stood, lifting her top slightly to reveal the creamy plains of her stomach and sides. Gasping, she couldn't hold back her surprise when he fell to his knees in front of her, his strong fingers gently caressing the red blushes on her skin.

He lifted her top a little further, checking her over for any further signs of misuse, and then he began to tug at the edges of her jeans, searching her obsessively. She could hear him muttering, but she couldn't make out the words.

"No one touches you but me." He finally said aloud, and she almost reeled back from the dark force he held over her as she nodded, promising him something that would almost be impossible to uphold. He seemed to find some peace in her acceptance, as his fingers and eyes stopped their fastidious search.

"Let's get out of here." Paul said while rising to his feet, grabbing her hand a little crudely. She trailed behind him silently, dismissing all the questions which began pummelling against the perimeters of her mind. The whole night had been terribly confusing and while she tried to piece together what she knew, she found so little that she almost instantly gave up.

"Where are we going?" She asked, sticking with questions where the answers wouldn't amount to more confusion.

"I'm taking you home. You dad knows you're here, but he's not exactly going to mind if I bring you back early. You can tell him you woke up and wanted to be back in your own bed. It's hardly an unreasonable request." He concluded and she found his logical lie strangely acceptable.

"Is that the only thing you want to ask me?" He queried as he tucked her inside his ominous black truck, headlights beaming on the broken down shack Sam called his home.

"Will you answer if I ask?" She retorted, a deep fatigue settling over her now that strangely enough she found herself feeling at peace.

"No." He answered honestly, his eyes heavy as they tracked the beam lit night.

"Well then, I think I'll save my breath." She deduced with a wide yawn.

The calm of night rolled by and Bella struggled to keep her eyes open. Just five more minutes she pleaded with herself, but when she felt her body being lightly jostled she knew the battle had been lost. Instead of pulling herself out of the abyss, she snuggled down in the arms that were enveloped protectively around her fragile bones. Even when she could hear her father's irate voice, she only pressed herself tighter against him, but eventually he would leave, she knew he would, and she would be forced to actually admit that she was lost in her own life. But until then, she wasn't going to miss a moment of the calm that seemed to pour over her body, simply by having him near.

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><p><strong>an: As usual a wonderful thanks to my lovely beta Twiticulate and all you fantabulous readers. I'll see you all again on Wednesday for Chapter 8. xxx**


	8. Bad Blood

"Bells? You have a visitor." She heard Charlie's muted voice call out from within the house.

Lifting her head from her forearms, Bella twisted her neck so she could peer over her shoulder. She hadn't been expecting anyone, but after almost a week of intense Charlie time, she was of the opinion that any warm body was going to be a welcome relief.

It wasn't exactly warm enough to be lying around outdoors, but with enough layers and a stubborn will, it was a damn sight better than sitting cooped up in her bedroom for the fifth day in a row. Watching as the back door crept open, she couldn't help experiencing a little flutter of disappointment when a petite body emerged, and certainly not the one she was hoping for.

"Hey Alice." She greeted, lifting her arm into a little half wave as the strange girl skipped forward. There was something unusual about the Cullens, that much was obvious, but there was also something intriguing about them too.

Alice didn't wait for an invitation. She simply threw herself down on the neat little rug, sitting close as though they were the best of friends. Bella didn't want to be obvious in her actions, but she also didn't stop herself as she moved slightly, hitching back just a little from the attack on her personal space. If Alice noticed she didn't say anything, she just kept on smiling in that awkwardly innocent way.

"What're you reading?" Alice asked, nodding down to the book that was now fluttering in the breeze.

"Oh, nothing, just some crime thing of Charlie's." Dismissively she tucked the book away, hiding it from view. She didn't want to admit that it was a trashy romance novel, one of many she'd found while rummaging out of pure boredom in the attic. She suspected they had once belonged to her mother, a thought which hadn't yet failed to make her smile.

"How was the camping trip?" Bella asked casually, not particularly caring for the answer even though she hadn't seen Alice in over a week.

"Oh it was good. We did a lot of hiking." Alice smiled pleasantly but Bella just couldn't picture it. The image of Alice tramping up mountains wasn't cohesive with the girl who was sitting in front of her, pristine and polished.

Rolling her eyes over the forestry which surrounded Charlie's little backyard, Bella tried desperately to think of something to say next. It didn't seem to bother Alice that they were sitting there in silence, but Bella was categorically uncomfortable.

"So, did you get your essay done for English yet?" Bella finally asked, falling back on school work when she finally figured out it was the only thing they had in common.

"No, I'll probably start on it tomorrow. I already know exactly what I'm going to write so it won't take long. How about you, are you done?" Alice asked back, her eyes bright as she stared intently at Bella.

"Umm, yeah I got it over with a couple days ago." Bella said as she twisted her body to sit upright, unconsciously moving further away from her companion.

"So, did you ever find out about that weird phone call? You know, the one you got when I was over here last time?" Bringing up that day invoked a whole host of emotions in Bella, not least a heated longing that she couldn't quite place.

"Umm, no, not really. I thought maybe it was Embry, but now I'm not so sure." Bella shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

"Who's Embry?" Alice asked smoothly and Bella couldn't help the feeling that she was being gently coaxed.

"He's a friend. He lives down in La Push." Bella replied, her eyes trailing down to her hands as they toyed with the edge of her thick coat.

"Did you go down there after I left that night?" Alice pressed and Bella lifted her eyes, wondering whether she was being paranoid or not for wondering why Alice was so interested. She wasn't sure why it felt so necessary but as Alice's body leaned forward, her attention wrapped up in the answer she obviously felt was forthcoming, Bella struggled to find something, anything to distract her.

"It's getting pretty cold out here; do you want to go in?" Swiftly standing, Bella gathered what she could in her arms, all but throwing Alice from the rug so she could sweep that up too. She'd already taken a few steps towards the house when she felt a cold hand wrap around her upper arm.

"Wait." Alice commanded, her touch sending a shiver through Bella.

Seeing her reaction, she removed her hand, knowing it was unnecessary now that she had her attention. "I need you to listen to me Bella. I need you to promise me you won't go down there again." Her voice was programmed into something easy and sweet, a simple request from one friend to another, but even Bella could sense that behind the honeyed words there was something more.

Turning around, Bella eyed the little girl standing behind her speculatively. The last thing she needed was another person telling her to stay away from the reservation, especially since miraculously Charlie hadn't sent her to live with her Mom like he'd promised, but she had Billy to thank for that. How he'd managed to appease her father, she still hadn't truly figured out.

"Why Alice?" Bella finally asked, shifting the weight in her hands as she waited impatiently for the answer.

"I just don't think it's safe for you down there, I have a bad feeling." Alice grimaced and though the expression was intentional, it didn't offer Bella anything more than an intense feeling of discomfort.

Furrowing her forehead, Bella waited to see if she would say anything more, but as usual she was left with only a morsel to savor. "I don't think it really matters anymore Alice. I mean, it's not like I'm allowed out of Charlie's sight anyway."

However, that simply wasn't enough for Alice as she crept forward. "But that doesn't seem to have made a difference to you so far." Alice offered cautiously, but the look in her eye was nothing if not combative.

"Why do you care Alice? What's it to you what I do?" Bella persisted, growing more and more annoyed with the conversation.

Alice sighed dramatically. "I care Bella, because I don't want anything to happen to you. Look what happened to that girl Emily. Do you really want that to be you?" Her voice was soft, lilting almost.

With so much time alone, Bella had been afforded every opportunity to really consider everything that had happened to her recently. Conclusions hadn't exactly been forthcoming, but the one thing she had ultimately deduced was that there was far too much spoken, with nothing actually being said at all.

Narrowing her gaze, Bella picked her words carefully. "I'll give you one chance to tell me the truth, Alice, the real reason why you don't want me to go down there." Her uncharacteristic confrontational spirit took a lot to uphold and so she gripped the blankets in her hand to stop herself from backing down.

"I can't." Alice finally admitted, the sadness in her voice drawing Bella in.

"Why? Why can't anyone just tell me what the hell is going on?" Internally she knew that she was pushing part of her insecurities out on the girl in front of her, but she wasn't about to apologize for it.

"It's complicated Bella. You just have to trust me on this, okay?" Alice really did seem to be pleading now, but all Bella heard was another collaboration of words full of mystery.

"Fine Alice, I promise not to go down there again. After all, you've produced such a winning argument to convince me." Bella sneered sarcastically, her patience worn too thin for courteous tones. Stalking the last few steps towards the house, Bella mentally prepared herself to send the little girl on her merry way.

"Fine, I'll tell you…" Alice sighed unhappily. "You'll find out eventually anyway."

Turning around, Bella tried to figure out if this was just another level to the game everyone seemed intent to play with her, but her attention was captivated as Alice began. "This isn't the first time we've lived in Forks." Bella was about to tell her that she was stating something patently obvious when a third, much deeper voice, joined the fray.

"I hope those are only your own stories you're planning to share."

Instead of being rightfully annoyed by the interruption, Bella watched in a hypnotic daze as he stepped forward, the exposed muscles of his chest and abdomen rippling under his skin as he stalked towards where they stood.

"Have we met before?" Bella heard Alice ask from somewhere in her periphery, her world still rotating around the man crossing her ever decreasing backyard.

"No, we've never met." His eyes didn't once stray from Bella's as he spoke, purposefully dismissing Alice and her prying mind.

The intensity of his stare left Bella with a soft rose touch to her apples of her cheeks, one which didn't pass the attention of her curious friend. "Bella?" Alice called angrily and when she finally did manage to pull her eyes away from the ever encroaching man, she found Alice glaring at her pointedly. She understood the intent, but she didn't care to comply.

"Come here Bella." Paul drawled out, drawing her attention back to him instantaneously.

"Bella!" Alice countered aggressively and Bella felt herself trip backwards, away from the primal look in Alice's eyes.

"I think you need to remember where you are pup, this isn't your land." Alice sneered and Bella was grateful that for the moment she was forgotten.

"New rules sugar..." Paul growled happily, holding his hand out for Bella to take.

Looking between the two of them, her decision wasn't hard to make, especially when she caught a moment in Alice's eye, a flash that screamed danger. Dropping the blankets bundled up in her arms; she flitted over to Paul's side, feeling a sense of composure with his broad frame so close. It was another thing she marked down to think about later, but for now, she was mainly concerned with seeing how this played out.

"Paul?" Shouted a voice Bella knew well and as she whirled around, she watched as he stepped out into the light, the shadow of his former self hidden in a much larger frame.

"Embry?" Bella asked, uncertainty tainting her tone.

"Bells, just stay behind Paul okay?" Embry commanded sharply as he crossed her lawn in a few steps, the sight of him leaving her full of disbelief. She couldn't take her eyes from his new supersized body and when he drew to her side, standing almost a foot over her head, she reached out her fingers, prodding his bare arm to verify that he really was real.

"What new rules?" Alice asked from nowhere, her eyes blank as they jumped back and forth over the wall of muscles standing between herself and Bella.

"Now isn't the time." Paul huffed, and threw a pointed look over at Embry. Catching his intention, Embry lifted Bella's small hand into his own and when she looked down to see what he was doing; she realized nothing about him was the same.

"Come on Bells, let's go inside." Tugging her slightly, she allowed her feet to follow, her head still turned around on her shoulders until the very last minute when the door closed and blocked her view.

"What's going on Emb? And what the hell happened to you?" Bella asked impatiently, her eyes following the lines of his new body.

"Nothing Bells, I just had a growth spurt… you know." He attempted a soft grin but it came out somewhat lacking.

"No, I don't know. I mean, seriously Emb, I saw you less than two weeks ago and you expect me to believe you just grew a foot and gained like a hundred pounds of muscle, all because you ate your broccoli? You know you can tell me." Bella beseeched, her eyes wide and expressive, but Embry just laughed her off easily.

"Is it drugs Embry? Because you can tell me that too, you know?" Bella said warily, trying to keep her voice welcoming. His flippant laughter only grew more pronounced and she found herself becoming increasingly irritated by the sound of it.

"Are you kidding me Bells? What kind of drugs do you think do this, steroids?" He scoffed facetiously as he waved a hand over his impressive physique and she shook her head, because she didn't really have an answer, only more and more questions brewing.

Frustrated with him and herself, she turned to the window just in time to catch Paul walking towards the house, no sign of Alice anywhere. She watched as he unabashedly opened the back door and stepped inside, foregoing any formal invitation.

"Embry, we have to go."

Taking one last long look at Bella, Embry sighed and walked away, his head low as he angrily brushed Paul's shoulder on the way out the door. She thought Paul would simply follow in his steps, but instead he just stood there, his eyes trailing over her skin.

"If she comes around here again, I want you to call me." He said evenly, his emotions carefully contained.

A hundred thoughts filtered through her mind, but the only one she allowed out was quite clearly the most inane. "I don't have your number."

"Here." He said, stepping across the room in easy steps. Reaching past her to pick up a pen from the counter, his arm touched hers, producing little sparks of red hot energy underneath her skin.

His fingers twisted her palm over and then with a slovenly scrawl he laid out seven digits on her exposed wrist. Having him so close, she tried to remind herself that she didn't know him at all, that she still hadn't pressed him to answer any of the questions she'd lined up in her mind.

"Thanks." She mumbled when he set the pen back down again. And though she felt uneasy doing it, just as he was about to walk back out the door she stopped him.

"Paul?"

His eyes were full of their usual dark warning when they met hers and she found the words she'd prepared dissolving as she found her focus fading.

"Why does Alice want me to stay away?" She finally mumbled out, the words not flowing the way they had in her head. His eyes were heavy, and for a moment she thought he might just walk away, leave her with nothing more than what she had when the day began.

"Because she thinks we're dangerous." He answered, thick with resentment.

"Are you?" She responded, her voice clearer now that she knew he wasn't going to just brush her aside.

"Sometimes."

The word swayed in the air as he stood there, and then in a moment he was gone, the muscles in his calves rippling as she watched him jog back out into the forest. Drumming her fingers on the kitchen counter, she watched him go until she was staring at nothing. Try as she might, she couldn't figure him out, figure any of it out. Her fingers idly began to run up and down her wrist, tracing the characters he'd drawn on her skin as they webbed their way into the recesses of her mind. The day had brought more confusion then clarity and it seemed clear to her she was the only one being chained in the shadows.

She was still standing in the kitchen an hour later when Charlie walked in. His fatherly eye, heavy from an afternoon nap, followed the path of hers as she looked out into the dark.

"You okay kiddo?" He asked, emotion marring the simplicity of the question.

"I don't know." Turning to face him, she wondered if the answers might be available a little closer to home; after all, it was hardly possible to run a small town and remain clueless to its inner workings. However, something held her back, some unknown loyalty that she couldn't place. He seemed slightly amused by the passing emotions on her face, so when the phone began to ring, interrupting their silent exchange, she gratefully ran to pick it up.

"Hello Swan residence?" She answered politely, aware that nine times out of ten, the caller wasn't looking for her.

"Bells. Hey, I don't have long. I need you to meet me!" Embry sounded out of breath, his words severe and rushed.

"I can't Embry, you know that." It was annoying just knowing she was trapped, let alone having to repeat it all the time.

"Oh yeah." He said, realization setting in. "Okay, meet me outside your house in ten minutes. At the edge of the forest." She opened her mouth to ask what the urgency was, but then she caught the echoed thrum of silence and she knew he was gone. Looking back over her shoulder to where Charlie was watching, she shrugged her shoulders dramatically and then strode back through to the kitchen, resuming her position looking out over the ever darkening back yard, waiting for a body to slide from the abyss.

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><p><strong>an: A big big thank you to my beta Twiticulate who is, as always, simply amazing! Secondly, I feel like this chapter hasn't moved us forward enough. I tried to work out a way to compress everything in 8 and 9 together, but it just wouldn't happen. So, instead I've decided that I'm going to post chapter 9 either tomorrow or friday, and then go ahead with chapter 10 on Sunday. This way we'll get to those answers you've all been craving all that much faster! Anyway, thanks to all you lovely readers, I'll hopefully see you again very soon...xxx **


	9. The Watcher in the Woods

"What's got you so distracted out there?" Charlie asked as he stepped to Bella's side, joining her vigil at the window. Turning to look at the father, she watched him until he turned to her, his eyes encumbered with stress and exhaustion.

"Embry's coming over. That's okay, isn't it?" She wasn't sure what the rules were exactly concerning people coming over, so she opened her eyes wide, a childish trick that always served her well.

"You don't have to look at me like that Bells, of course the boy is welcome here, but that still doesn't explain why you're standing here staring at nothing." Even his voice seemed labored as he spoke, though she knew he had meant to sound companionable.

"Oh…" She stalled, struggling to think of a viable motive for Embry's point of entry, when she didn't even know the reason herself. "He called and said he was going for a run through one of the old trails, so I'm meeting him out back." She finally mumbled out, keeping her eyes from his, knowing he would find the lie easily within them.

"Well, when he gets here I might have to have a word with him about that. It's not safe for you kids to be hanging out in the forest."

Bella sighed, sensing they were about to reiterate a conversation that she could recall verbatim from the thirty seven thousand times they'd had it before. Luckily she was saved just as Charlie opened his mouth to begin when Embry stepped clear of the tree line, wearing nothing but a pair of dark shorts.

"Hey, I'll tell him what you said." Bella called as she briskly walked from the room, striding across the back yard with a purpose and only a brief backward glance. It was too much to expect Charlie to busy himself with something else, but she still hoped he would at least contain himself and remain indoors.

"Charlie wanted me to tell you it's not safe for you to be in the forest… speaking of which Emb, what the hell _are_ you doing out here?" Bella asked softening her voice when she caught the tempestuous tension in his frame.

Embry lifted his eyes and took a long hard look at Charlie, nothing easy in his face until he looked away, his body softening when he caught her scrutinizing him. "Tell Charlie there's nothing out here that I can't take care of." Embry said with a gloating smirk, and she didn't know why, but something in the act made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"You must be freezing." Bella decided as she took him in, her hand reaching out in an unconscious path to his bare arm, the only exposed part of him she dared to touch. Seeing her intention he shirked back, the rapid glare of the movement halting her progress. It hurt to know he didn't want her to touch him, the pain of his rejection producing a nauseous wave of guilt.

"I know, Bells." Embry offered with a sad smile and she drew her hand back into her body, wrapping herself up in a lonely embrace. "I know all about you and Paul."

"Jake told you?" Bella asked, though the source really was irrelevant.

"Jake, Paul, everyone. There isn't anything I don't know anymore." Embry scoffed and Bella tried to push back the feel of self-pitying irony, knowing that for her almost the opposite was true.

"I'm really sorry Emb, I just…" She started trying to explain herself and then stopped, only because she actually had no idea what words she could string together to justify who she became when Paul was around.

"It's okay Bells; it's not your fault." Embry finished for her, his eyes saddened but his voice placating.

"No, don't do that. Don't make me the victim in this, Emb. I knew what I was doing." She threw back, trying to own the choices she wasn't even sure she'd made.

"Really?" He smirked, "Do you really believe that?"

When she realized it was a genuine question, she narrowed her eyes. "What gives you the right to ask that, Embry Call?" She didn't know why he'd riled her up so easily, but she thought the condescending leer in his eye might have something to do with it.

"Because the Bella I know doesn't fuck guys against trees she barely knows them." Embry snarled, his voice growing in both volume and intensity.

"I wasn't fucking him." She sneered back, but the damage was already done as she jerked back from him, her feet tripping over one another as she put a little more distance between them.

"Maybe, maybe not. I think you can only say that because Jake interrupted you, what do you think?" He countered, not backing down an inch.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, the rage fading away, but she was still unable to meet his eyes for fear that she would find the truth about herself written there.

He waved his hand dismissively and stepped back to sit down against a nearby tree, patting the ground next to him forlornly. Chancing a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught Charlie still watching them, his head cocked to one side in interest. Pushing her nosey father to the back of her mind once again, she sat as Embry had requested, the sharp edges of the tree protected from her skin by the thickness of her winter coat.

"We weren't anything Bells, so you don't have to apologize to me. I just wish it was me and not my brother you've been kissing."

Hearing him call Paul his brother brought bile to her throat, even if he was right and they hadn't really declared themselves anything to each other, the promise of possibilities was now gone. "I'm sorry." She repeated, unable to find another word to fill the void.

"I need to tell you something Bells and I think you just might hate me when I'm done, but I have to say it." Lifting her eyes to his, she nodded slowly, knowing there was nothing he could say that could ever make her feel abject malice towards him.

"You need to stay away from Paul. I know you're probably gonna think I'm saying this cause I'm jealous, but there's more going on Bells, things I can't tell you, things I'm a part of too." Embry picked up a fallen leaf and slowly began stripping it from the narrow veins uniting it together. His large fingers were nimble and precise, entrancing even, in their delicate touch.

"Cryptic bullshit" She whispered, remembering something Jake had said in his frustration. She wondered if he'd known something more then, because only now had she found herself aligning with his conclusion.

Embry broke her reverie with a barking laugh, his eyes lighting with a hint of his former self, something that quickly fell away once she began to speak again.

"I don't know what to say, Emb. I just wish I got it, but like I told Alice, Charlie won't even let me out of his sight and it's not like Sam took back that whole 'not welcome here' thing." Bella mused, staring down at her feet as they scuffed back and forth in the dark dusty soil.

"That's not the point though Bells, I think he might come here to see you and if he does I want you to call me."

Bella couldn't help the laugh that began as a small giggle in her throat, growing to something almost maniacal. "That's too funny, Emb. Now all I need is Jake coming over and telling me that if you come around I should call him." He clearly didn't understand the source of her amusement as he drew down his forehead in confusion.

As she slowly pulled her composure back together again, she rolled her eyes at her friend. "Paul told me if Alice came around again, I had to call him."

Embry just nodded, and she knew him well enough to allow him time to think things through.

"I'm sorry Emb, but I don't think I'm up for promising anyone anything anymore, not unless they can tell me why it's so important. So, if you feel like sharing…" Bella left her words open, already knowing that she was going to be left hanging.

"Bells…" Embry started and then took a deep breath; one so heavy she felt the atmosphere around her change. "Jake sent me. He sent me to tell you that Paul isn't a good guy." Embry seemed to struggle as he pulled himself to his feet and began pacing.

"Okay. But what does this have to do with Jake? Why didn't he just come himself if it's so important?" Bella asked and something in the question seemed to amuse Embry.

"What? What's funny?" She asked defensively, thinking maybe if she just threw questions at him, he was bound to answer one in the end.

"Nothing Bells, he's just not really himself right now." Embry provided, the easy smile remaining on his lips.

"Okay, so did he send you because of what he saw?" Bella asked tentatively, hoping Embry would know she was referring to the unfortunate incident Jake had interrupted.

"No. It's nothing to do with that, Bells. He knows why Paul reacted the way he did. Paul has some issues right now, that's all." Something seemed to spook Embry and Bella watched as his head flicked back and forth, looking for something in the darkness behind her.

"For Fuck's sake." Embry hissed out under his breath.

"Bella, get behind me." He barked, and the jagged edge to his tone had her on her feet and peering over his shoulder in seconds.

Embry pulled himself up to his full height, his shoulders rolling high as he cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Get out here!" He snarled and Bella snuck a look over to the kitchen window, uncertain whether she was relieved or disappointed to see her father's form no longer watching over her.

She recognized him the moment he stepped into view, his familiar eyes and smooth gait only backing up his gesture of goodwill as he raised his hands in submission.

"What're you doing here?" Embry asked lowly, his whole body rigid as he all but growled at an ever approaching Edward.

"I'm making sure you don't hurt her." Edward responded with his usual offhanded charm, almost making the words within seem innocuous.

"I'm not going to hurt her." Embry said very slowly, each word rounded out with an eerie calm.

"I'm sure that's what the other one said too." Edward offered as he raised one perfect eyebrow towards the heavens, earning him a low growl from Embry's throat. Bella heard the noise and decided that this whole thing had just gone a step too far.

"Okay, I'm officially done. Edward I have no idea what the hell you're doing skulking around in the trees, but whatever the hell is going on around here, can just go on without me in it. I've had enough." Throwing up her hands she pivoted on the spot and began stalking back towards the house. She would have made it there too, but as she lifted her hand to open the door, she struck something hard instead. Her eyes shot upwards and straight away she threw her eyes back to where they'd stood, finding a glowering Embry and not much else.

"How did you…?" She asked, and he simply chuckled in response, a strangely lilting noise.

"But…?" She tried again, trying to figure out if it was conceivable for him to have run ahead of her… soundlessly. Shaking her head when she decided it just wasn't possible, she found her teeth clenching, certain this was just going to be another thing left unsolved.

"You're not safe around him Isabella, he can barely control himself." Edward said, his voice kept low with the illusion that it was meant only for her. What he didn't realize though, was this was one warning too far.

"Get the fuck out of my way, Cullen." She shouted, certain Charlie would come running any moment. Edward scowled at her choice of language, but didn't even pretend to be intimidated by her anger.

"I said get… the fuck… out of my way." She repeated, a little slower this time for emphasis. "I've had enough of you people telling me what to do when you can't even tell me why."

Edward seemed to find her passion somewhat alluring and he cast his eyes down over her petite body, the angry blush on her cheeks not distracting his attention, though he did find it quite a tempting invitation.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know." Edward offered, outstretching his hand in an invitation she almost felt bound to accept.

Embry was all over them in a second, batting Edward's hand angrily as he pushed Bella out of the way. He was a little rough with her and she stumbled slightly, laying her hands down on the grass to hold her balance.

"You should be more careful, little boy." Edward hissed, clearly unimpressed with Embry's lack of control. But it only seemed to incense Embry further as he stepped into Edward's chest, a clear attempt to intimidate the smaller threat.

"Boys!" Came an angry shout from within the house, and Bella sighed in relief as she watched Charlie step into view, his whole demeanor projecting irritation.. Edward immediately stepped aside, letting Charlie press his way between them, but Embry didn't seem able to pull himself back, too caught in the spirit of the fight to back down.

"Embry Call!" Charlie bellowed when it looked like Embry just might take a swing at Edward anyway, and when he lowered his eyes to look at the man standing firmly in front of him, he seemed to shake himself out of his hostility. "Chief Swan." Embry mumbled, his feet taking him backwards as he skipped his eyes occasionally back over to Edward.

"Bells, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Embry asked, his eyes not even making it to hers.

"Cullen, how about you and me take a walk?" Embry asked, all too aware that the Chief was unlikely to allow it.

"I don't think so Call, how about you jog back the way you came, and Mr. Cullen here can leave out the front. I assume that's where you parked your car?" Charlie asked and Bella watched as Edward began to lie with effortless grace.

"Actually Sir, my Dad dropped me off on the way to the hospital. I just came over to talk to Bella about a project we're supposed to work on together for our Social Studies class; if she's still willing to be my partner?" Edward threw a smile over her father's shoulder, and Bella found herself with just a fraction of a moment to make a decision. Looking back over at Embry who was seething in his russet skin, she decided that maybe it really did make sense to go with the Devil you knew.

"I just need a word with Embry."

She could almost hear Charlie open his mouth to protest, but she was already stepping towards the edge of the lawn, nodding at Embry to follow. Keeping her focus on only him, she chose her words carefully.

"Unless you've got something better to offer me, I'm going to take Edward up on his." Bella sighed, wishing it hadn't come to this because if she was honest, she thought the Cullens were downright creepy, Edward especially.

Running a heavy hand through his hair, Bella watched as Embry looked back over his shoulder into the darkness, searching for unknown answers.

"Give me an hour, Bells. I can't…" He sighed, looking lost. "I can't tell you anything without permission." Embry finally admitted, his eyes shamed with the truth.

"Who Emb? Who do you need permission from?" Bella begged, reaching out and pulling his hand back from where it was about to twist back through his short hair with what she thought was just a little too much force. He didn't stop her gentle touch this time and when she looked deep in his eyes, she couldn't help the thought that she was watching her friend break in half.

"Please Bells, just an hour? Just, whatever you do, don't talk to Cullen… send him home? Please?" His big brown eyes pleaded with her, and she found her resolve fade away.

"Fine Emb, one hour." She wasn't expecting him to touch her at all, so when he pulled her into an all-consuming embrace, she found herself gasping in surprise at the sheer warmth of him. Stepping away, he didn't look at her again, he simply faded into the greenery and until she convinced herself she could see him no longer, she watched him go.

"Bella?" Called an irate father and she lingered for just a moment longer, collecting herself and the lie she was about to tell. Her feet were slow to cross the lawn and when she lifted her head to look into two pairs of eyes, she wasn't surprised to find one full of anger and the other defeat.

"I'm really sorry Edward, but could we work on that project some other day? I'm just not feeling too well right now." He nodded firmly once, before he turned and walked away, all without saying a word.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked as she walked back into the house, the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders.

"I don't actually know." She said quietly, adding a little shrug even though it was probably unnecessary.

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><p><strong>an: It's a post and run... so I'll be brief with a big thanks to my beta Twiticulate, mwah to all you readers... and I'll see you all again on Sunday...x  
><strong>


	10. The Uninvited

The phone rang once, twice, and then disappeared, only to be replaced by the gruff, albeit somewhat welcoming voice of her father. When he called her name she was already waiting, her bones held together with unyielding impatience as she stood hidden in the dark pool of shadows at the top of the stairs.

Her feet were clumsy underneath her as she rushed down the steps, her hand impatient as she snatched the phone from his unprepared grip. He kept his hold for a moment, waiting until she acknowledged her rude behavior with the little fall of her chin, but he didn't stray too far.

Bella watched him go, eager for him to leave as Embry noted the shift in breaths, the different heartbeats down the phone line.

"Bells?" He asked, and she shifted her attention from her father to the warm voice invading her auditory system.

"Hey Emb. So?" She asked irritably, unwilling to bring forth pleasantries that she didn't think deserved to be afforded.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know Bells. I promise I will…" He rushed, and she finished his words for him, "but?"

He laughed, a deep chortling sort of laughter that felt all too familiar as it reminded her of older times. "You know, I always hate it when you do that."

She didn't know what to do with his words, the melancholy regret that she felt washing over her, knowing somehow that he was talking about a version of her he'd already said goodbye to.

"But?" She pressed, unwilling to wallow in his presence.

"Like I said, I'll tell you everything you want to know… but I can't do it tonight. My Mom's pissed at me Bells, I haven't been around much recently and she's making me come home for dinner and what she calls 'quality time'." Bella could see the roll of his eyes, the frustrated drone of his words making it all too clear that he really didn't want to be appeasing his mother at all.

"So when?" She asked, strangely embracing the relief she felt knowing she had a little time before she had to face everything. She took a deep breath and Embry must have taken it as a wearied sigh.

"Bells? Please don't be like that. I promise tomorrow at noon I'll come pick you up, I'll have my Mom call and clear it with Charlie and then we can spend the day together. I'll tell you everything. That's okay, isn't it?" He asked, and she looked up to see Charlie sitting in his recliner, the Redskins game on with the volume dipped uncharacteristically low.

"Hey Dad, Embry wants to know what the score is?" Bella asked innocently and tried to hold back a broad grin as Charlie looked a little confused and then squinted at the screen, looking for the score. He wasn't at all convincing and when he turned and caught her smirking at him, he shook his head, the only acknowledgement he would offer though he'd obviously been caught eavesdropping.

"What was that about?" Embry asked and Bella laughed lightly as she told him the truth. Even from the back of his head, she could tell that Charlie was wearing a scowl.

"So tomorrow?" Embry pressed and then obviously felt like he needed to add a disclaimer as an afterthought. "Oh, and Bells… don't forget what I said about Paul. Okay?"

Running her fingers through the ends of her wavy hair, Bella thought about all the promises she'd made recently and the ones she was now refusing to make because of that. "I heard the first time, Emb, but when your Mom calls Charlie, can you leave out the part about you picking me up? I was kinda hoping to come to you." She said lightly, pulling away from his intensity.

He agreed with her request readily and after bidding him goodnight and putting down the receiver, she made nimble work of the stairs, heading straight for her bedroom. Picking up the book from her nightstand that had captivated her all afternoon, she meandered back out towards the bathroom, looking forward to a relaxing soak to drain the day away.

In her distracted haze, she didn't notice the man sitting in the corner of her room, a man who was watching her with deep attentive eyes.

Wrapped in a towel she lazily stepped back into her bedroom, dripping droplets of bathwater on the carpet with each stride. As she flicked on her bedside light, her eyes and her senses finally opened up wide enough to realize she wasn't alone.

"Fucking fuck!" She cried sharply, her language sending her eyes darting to her doorway, waiting for a coarse reprimand from below. He seemed to find her amusing as she distractedly looked back and forth; trying to decide which threat deserved her attention more.

Looking her uninvited guest up and down, she sensed no immediate threat from him, despite what she'd been told. Having made her choice she tip-toeing lightly to the doorway and listened intently, finally pulling her door closed with a gentle touch when she decided if Charlie was coming, he probably would have been there by now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed as the door clicked shut, turning her body to press herself against the only way out.

"I told you to call me if they came back. You didn't." Paul stated quite mechanically, but his eyes were full of passion as they roamed her body, reminding her that she wasn't exactly dressed for company.

"Oh Jesus!" She exclaimed and pulled her towel a little closer, not realizing the action lifted the hem by a good two inches, exposing more of her slender thighs. Rushing to grab a fistful of clothing, she didn't stop to look and see what she'd procured, so when she had to reappear in a pair of tiny shorts and a thick sweater, she was already covered with a soft pink blush.

Paul openly admired her, his lips pulling up in an appreciative smile as she all but ran into the room and threw herself under the blankets, her wet body sending her scent flooding through the confined air.

Before she could settle herself he was standing, stalking her from across the room. She thought for a moment that he might never stop, that he might actually just tear back the sheets and join her, but then his body stilled abruptly and he sat, holding himself back at the end of her bed.

He brushed his fingers over the purples of her bedspread and she just couldn't keep herself from watching, catching the way he deliberately missed her body by only centimeters, each and every time.

"As I was saying, you didn't call me." He repeated and she closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was she'd promised him this time. Finally it clicked and she opened her eyes, her eyebrows drawn down in confusion. "I told you I would call if Alice came back. She didn't."

His fingers paused for a moment, a stall in his movements so indiscrete that no one else would have noticed a thing. But no-one else was watching him the way she was.

"My mistake, but for future reference I'll clarify for you. If any of the Cullens approach you again, you call me." Lifting his body, she found her lungs pausing, her whole world acknowledging that having him close meant something primal. His fingers were warm as they lifted her hand, turning her wrist over so that her palm looked clear to the sky.

"You washed it off." He said with a low disbelief and she pulled back her arm, holding it to her body to hide what she refused to believe was shame.

"I didn't mean to. I just forgot, I guess." She didn't want to admit that she could tell him those digits forward and back, that they'd burned themselves into her mind with the same indelible print her own name bore.

She couldn't tell if he was angry or not, but she watched him stalk back and forth in her room, his footsteps surprisingly soft and for that at least, she was thankful. "Where's your phone?" He growled, his pacing finished as he whirled to face her.

"Umm, downstairs?" She responded.

"Go get it." He barked, and she lifted herself slightly, her body pulling up. "I can't. I mean it's one of those old ones, with the cord and everything."

He seemed confused for just a moment and then he corrected her with a hint of exasperation. "No, your cell phone. Where's your cell phone?"

"Oh, yeah… I don't have one of them." Charlie had promised her recently that he would put her on his plan, but now that she was on lockdown it didn't really make sense, at least not to her oblivious father.

"Great!" He sighed and rubbed his hands through his dark hair. She felt embarrassed for the first time about her lack of inclusion in the twenty first century, and maybe he felt it too, because he softened his features slightly, throwing himself down again at the foot of her bed.

"You need to get one, in the meantime here's my number… again." He spoke with finality, grabbing a pen from her bedside table. She wanted to tell him how Charlie would barely pay to keep the heat on in winter and so she doubted he would spring for something frivolous like a phone, but she didn't, she just told him she'd try, and that was that.

Silence fell between them and Bella began to wonder why he'd come, if it really had only been to find out why she hadn't called, but she decided that just seemed silly. "I want you to meet me tomorrow at twelve." He said abruptly, drawing her from her trailing thoughts.

"Oh… umm, I can't. My dad is pretty serious about me not going anywhere after everything that's happened." She couldn't look at him directly as she omitted the fact that she was meeting Embry tomorrow at that exact time, his warning too recent in her mind to ignore fully. She reminded herself that they were brothers, distant and recent, but still brothers.

"You could tell him you were meeting a friend from school." He persisted.

"I would, but I know for a fact he would call and check with their parents first." She felt about six years old as she admitted to him how enclosed her life actually was, but at least she wasn't lying. Thankfully he didn't push it this time, because she really didn't want to have to sit here and admit that she didn't actually have any friends in school at all.

"Okay. Another time then, we'll figure something out about your Dad." He said gruffly and she wondered if by 'we' he meant her and him, or him and someone else. The whole thing confused her, so she just nodded, and that seemed to be the right thing to do.

A rumble in his pocket drew his attention away and when he scowled down at his phone, he stepped to the window before she could say another word. She watched enthralled as he opened the glass pane, bringing a frosty swirl of air into the room.

"Come here." He beckoned lowly, and she wasn't sure why, but she stood almost instantly, walking towards him as if she was being pulled by an invisible string.

She stood barely inches from his body, trembling in his proximity. He reached out to her, his hard fingers lifting her chin slowly, drawing her to him with an almost painful pace. Trailing a path from her chin to her lips, he traced his thumb over the moist flesh, his eyes dark as he watched her mouth open slightly.

"Just remember, Isabella, you're mine."

She felt certain that he would kiss her, lower his head just slightly and mark his claim on her body. But the kiss never came and she felt him twist around her, circling her body with his invasive heat and overpowering presence.

When his fingers danced over her thick sweater, she jumped slightly in surprise, but as she welcomed his touch, she lost herself to the feelings that seemed to ooze languidly to the surface whenever he was near.

She felt his fingers at her throat; a thick pressure on soft skin and instinctively her eyes fluttered open. Bella observed the intensity in his eyes, the look of concentration as he watched his own hands grip firmly. She was too focused on him to notice at first, but as a soft cold rolled across her chest, she looked down in shock to see his fingers rip the thick fabric of her sweater in two, tearing it with ease as though it were nothing more than a flimsy sheet of paper.

She was too enraptured to entertain anything resembling rational, so when he pushed the now useless garment from her shoulders, exposing her to the world outside her window, she didn't think to hide herself from him.

Standing just far enough away, he watched her skin react under the cold exposure, her flesh tighten as her pupils burning into his body with a desire so strong that it was taking everything he had to hold himself back. She was his and he didn't need anything more to confirm that, anything other than the fire in her eyes that he knew burned solely for him.

His hands started at her tapering neck, learning the curve of her body as he trailed over her fragile shoulders, before skimming her breasts with just a taste of what would have to be postponed for another time.

Just as she was about to reach her hand out to touch him, he gripped her narrow waist and pulled her close, pivoting her body so that her exposed spine pressed against him, her hands now useless as he continued his exploration.

His fingers brushed back and forth over her flat stomach, leaving behind a burning memory until he continued lower, taking all of her prudence away as she held her breath in anticipation. The tip of her shorts didn't stopping him like she thought they might and he dipped underneath the light cotton, going places no-one had ever been before. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest and he delved ever lower. Just when she thought she might lose herself to him completely, her eyes fluttered closed, her senses so heightened it hurt to think about anything other than his touch.

"You'd let me bend you over and take you right now if I wanted to, wouldn't you?" Paul asked, his voice husky and raw as he pressed her forward just slightly, her body bending willingly underneath him, answering his question with unspoken words.

She didn't know her body had already spoken for her and so she trawled to the depths of her desire, looking for the answer that she tried to deny was on the tip of her tongue. Accepting the truth, she nodded her head, a slight whimper of desperation dropping from her lips as he curled one finger inside her, her fingers gripping into a tight fist as she tried to hold back a wanton moan. The feel of him was exquisite, the exploration of her body so incomplete that when he pulled away, she writhed with him, not willing to let him go so easily.

He held her in place with a firm hand and as time stopped for Bella, the excitement of what she thought was about to happen stilled every single atom in the newly found reaches of her soul. But as the warmth that had encapsulated her gusted away and a cold breeze rustled over her skin, she accepted with a bitter disappointment that he was gone.

Her dreams were torn that night, filled with moments when fingers hadn't stopped, fingers that had delved over and under, morphing into tongues that tasting her with a need impossible to satiate. So when she woke, groggy and poorly rested from a twisting night, she looked to her clock flashed out crimson lines and groaned.

It wasn't even thirty minutes later when she turned the key in her cumbersome truck, the old engine spluttering to life in protest to being roused. The country music blaring from her speakers broke the sleepy cobwebs from her mind.

The roads were so familiar that she paid them little mind, coasting round the bends in delight at being free from a home which recently had felt more like a prison. The truck was old, so old in fact that it didn't have a light to warn her when her gas had reached a critical low. So when the old beast began to cough and splutter, she cast her eyes down in surprise.

"Oh, come on!" She pleaded, bashing the steering wheel with the base of her palm. She could remember driving to school midweek and making a mental note to fill up on the way home, but the day had been too long and the thought had passed, obliterated into this very moment.

Crawling to an undignified stop on the hard shoulder, Bella's eyes fell to the road. She was surrounded by trees, nothing but tall imposing trees. It took a moment for the magnitude of the moment to actually sink in. Looking behind her, though she knew it was a useless gesture, she checked to make sure nothing was coming before she stepped from the cab into the road, slamming the door behind her just because she could.

She was so angry with herself and the old thing that she didn't even bother to lock it. The best case scenario, she decided, as she took her first steps towards La Push, would be that it would be stolen by a deserving criminal. The worst, it would be there when she got back.

Her steps were angry and therefore her pace was a little faster than normal, her focus on her own foolishness that she didn't feel the sensation of eyes on her, the strange crawling awareness of being viewed from afar.

The woods around her were wild with nature, but the usual rustle of leaves, the constant songs sung by lively birds, all of it was missing. She might have noticed if she wasn't chastising herself, berating her own stupidity and the price she was now paying in her head.

She didn't notice them step out of the trees, didn't catch their graceful bodies as she strode on, she didn't even notice the gnarled root of a tree that brought her tumbling down. But once she was on the floor, her bloodied hands breaking the worst of her fall, she finally saw their russet feet, waiting for her to notice it all.

* * *

><p><strong>an: I'm so disappointed I couldn't get this out yesterday... my laptop died and my world fell apart as a result. Anyway, I'm back and as always I want to say a huge thank you to my beta Twiticulate and to all you lovely readers.**

**I'll see you all again on Wednesday, so until then... x**


	11. Lost Souls

"Call Paul and tell him we found something belonging to him on the side of the road." A voice gruffed out with little amusement, the familiar tone immediately sent a tremble throughout Bella's inert body. She would happily admit to herself that she was afraid to stand up, that her bloodied hands were actually shaking a little beneath her, but there was absolutely no way she wanted him to know that. Slowly she rose to her petite height, and with her eyes only making it to the center of his chest, she tilted her head back, the sheer size of him pressing down on her, even though he was doing nothing but standing still.

"Didn't your daddy tell you it's not safe for little girls to go wandering around on their own?" He asked with a leering smile, the kind that she knew would haunt her dreams for nights to come.

She didn't think that speaking would be wise in the moment, so instead she turned to his companion, her eyes following the smooth easy nonchalance on his face with envy. He didn't give off any intimidating vibes, but when he put his cell phone away, he noticed her with a slight frown.

"He's on his way…" The man said to Sam, leaving his words unfinished.

"And?" Sam growled and Bella kept her eyes away from his face, certain she would find nothing kind there.

"And he was with someone, so I don't know if they overheard."

Bella took a deep breath in their moment of distraction, pulling her hands upwards to see the damage she'd done. It wasn't unknown for her to tumble with ease, so the thick lines of blood didn't immediately give her any cause for concern. Leaving stains of red behind on her worn jeans, she surveyed the damage once again, glad to see that nothing seemed be worthy of stitches this time.

"You should be more careful when you walk. You never know who'll be around the next time you fall." Sam said angrily, the cutting slice of his words so sharp that she couldn't help looking his way. The anger behind his eyes was strong enough that she knew she wasn't enough in herself to be the true cause. Nodding her head to appease him, she stepped back slightly, thinking of ways to excuse herself from whatever this was.

"Umm, do you think maybe I could use your phone? I was on my way to see Embry and my truck kinda broke down." She left out the part where it was simply a case of running out of gas, but she knew it was a long shot, so it was hardly like the circumstances mattered.

He didn't answer her initially and when she looked at the man whose name she still didn't know, he was already looking to Sam for what she deduced was his permission.

"You don't need to call him, Paul's on his way."

Bella didn't know what to do. Suddenly her heart started to beat irrationally in her chest, the conversation she'd had the night before flooding her mind as she thought about what was inevitably going to happen. She'd lied to him, lied straight to his face, and now he was going to find out. Her mind was too fraught, caught up in what was about to happen to think of a way out, so she stood, her bloodied palms clasped together, staring blindly down the open road.

The sound of a dull engine broke through her trance and without realizing what she was doing, her feet stepped backwards, pushing a little more distance between herself and the two intimidating men who seemed to be standing guard over her. She looked back over her shoulder, wondering what they would do if she simply ran the other way. But the engine droned ever nearer and her feet remained planted in the earth, waiting.

"What's she doing out here?" Called Paul from her right, and she whipped her head around just as the blue car spun around the corner into view, announcing its arrival with a little fishtail.

The question was lost in the air as the three men turned to watch the approaching vehicle, their eyes drawn down in similar looks of distaste and anger. She almost forgot to wonder why Paul wasn't in the car, why he'd stepped into sight from the trees, as people seemed to be doing more and more these days. She was about to open her mouth and pose the question when the car screeched to a stop, two dark bodies pouring from the small interior and into her path.

She immediately recognized one as the new Embry, but it took longer to see her old friend Jacob Black in the other. His long hair had been cropped short, a hair-cut she was almost convinced had been self-inflicted by its uneven nature. That wasn't the most important thing, it was simply the easiest for her to mentally manage. If she thought about how her two dearest friends now looked remarkably like the three men standing in front of her, if she thought about how their bodies had grown and twisted in something actually quite magnificent, it was possible she might just keel over in a puddle of unkempt bones.

"Embry, put her in the car." Jake commanded and Bella caught a low tremor, a warning she thought, as he pulled her away, her body so numb underneath her that he almost had to carry her the short distance.

The door was shut firmly behind her and after a pointed look that blatantly told her to remain in place, she watched Embry stalk back over to Jacob's side, wondering just how much trouble would come her way if she decided not to obey.

Their voices were too muffled for her to hear, their words far too soft beyond the panes of glass. She didn't need to hear the conversation to know that Paul was displeased with her friends, his huge frame bearing down on Jacob with fire in his eyes. She decided that he actually looked quite handsome when he was angry, and so she forced herself to look away, a punishment for her own mental inanity.

When her self-control gave out only seconds later, it was to watch Sam, Paul and their friend walk away, leaving Jacob and Embry in a heated roadside discussion. She thought perhaps they'd forgotten about her, and she was just about to rap on the glass and remind them she was still there, when they turned around in unison, the movement so fluid with synchronicity it almost looked rehearsed.

They didn't speak the whole remaining ten minutes it took to get to La Push and when they drove past Embry's home and then Jake's, she watched the houses thin away to nothing. The open land embraced the trees as they drove on and through the reservation.

"Where're we going?" Bella asked when she could stand it no more.

Turning around in the passenger seat, Embry grinned at her, the smile in his eyes bringing her a sense of peaceful familiarity as he spoke. "We're nearly there, just a couple more minutes, okay?" She nodded instead of answering and he turned away, leaving her once again to watch the green world flash by.

They finally pulled to a stop outside a little cabin in the middle of nowhere. As each boy extricated his long limbs from the car, Bella took note of the fact that they were very obviously in the middle of nowhere, a place she would never be able to find again, no matter how hard she tried.

"C'mon Bells, let's get you inside." Embry opened her door and stood waiting, not commenting when she took a moment to gather herself.

The interior of the cabin smelt a little like wet wood, an earthy musk that reminded her a little of Sam, a thought she tried to squash almost as quickly as it arrived. The decorating had clearly been left to an unobservant male as not a single personalized possession lay anywhere.

The boys seemed quite at home as they strode from her towards the living room and Embry threw himself down on a large sofa that squeaked with either his weight, or lack of use, she wasn't sure which.

"Come sit down, Bells. We have a story to tell you." Embry smiled and as she strode towards him full of an eager trepidation, she noticed Jacob frowning slightly as he looked through the window out into the wild.

"Are you really going to tell me what's been going on?" Bella asked, her nerve slipping away now that she was on the cusp of being included.

Embry remained silent by her side and it took Jake to sigh loudly, his body still turned from hers, to know this was actually happening. "You're going to find out anyway, Bells, and it's better if you find out from us."

"So how does this work? Can I ask questions? I mean what…" She trailed off as she tried to think of what she wanted to know first, whether it was their overnight transformation, the thing she couldn't quite capture that they all kept alluding to, or Paul, everything and anything about Paul.

"I think maybe we should tell you what we know, then if you have any questions, you should ask them when we're done." Jake concluded and the firmness of his tone, the confidence that was oozing from across the small room, made Bella raise her eyes in cognizance that it wasn't just his body that had been transformed.

"There are legends, Bells, that pass down through each tribe, a history of the people and how they came to the land, how the land came to them. Most of them seem pretty crazy now, but there was a time when they weren't just stories to our people."

Bella was sitting on the edge of her seat, intoxicated by the drawl of Jacob's winsome voice.

"When we were little we used to have bonfires on the beach and my Dad used to tell us the stories of how Dokibatt created everything; from the insect, who was small enough to cause no harm, to the rocks that lined the beds of the salmon rich rivers. It was also Dokibatt that gave life to the Quileutes, transforming a lone wolf into the first man of our tribe."

Bella nodded along, trying to keep her body language respectful, because although she thought many of the tribe's legends were interesting, she also couldn't see why Jacob was bothering with them now.

"In generations long forgotten, when boys reached their adolescence, they used to send them out into the wild on a spirit walk in search of their supernatural side."

"Jake?" Embry interrupted and when Jacob turned, Bella noticed the glazed over look in his eyes, his mind far away from this moment.

"Uh, you might want to just stick with the basics." Embry suggested, his nose wrinkled up as he shrugged his shoulders, clearly not looking to offend.

"Oh, yeah… sorry, Bells. It just all means a lot more than it used to. Anyway… blahdeeblahdeeblah… we're wolves." Jake grinned, raising an eyebrow at Embry, who only groaned in response.

"Seriously dude, that's the best you've got? Either boring legends or bam, we explode into big fur balls? Couldn't you do something in the mid-range?" Embry teased, but Bella could also tell from the hold of his shoulders that it was something of a pretence.

"Umm, what was that about exploding?" Bella asked, not sure where exactly they were going with this at all.

Her voice seemed to bring a thick silence to the bantering pair and a serious look quickly overtook Jake's face. He paused for just a moment and then strode over to stand in front of her, his thick legs encroaching on the sofa and her personal space as he perched himself on the coffee table.

"Damn it, Bells. I guess I'm not very good at this shit yet. The legends thing, the whole 'we come from wolves stuff', well it's true. Embry and me, we can change into wolves." She knew him well enough to know that Jake was deadly serious, but it didn't stop a little nervous bubble of laughter trilling from her mouth, something she clamped down on very quickly.

"I don't get it." She responded finally, the words he was saying and the truth in his eyes misfiring somewhere along the way.

"We change into big wolves, Bells, the kind that kill vampires."

"Subtle" Embry hissed under his breath, but Bella was too focused on what Jacob had just said to notice.

"As in?" Bella asked, the two words forming a complete, yet very awkward, question.

"As in, the things you see in movies and read about in books, the things that you think don't really exist, the things that drink blood and live forever." Jacob responded very calmly, trying to put it into terms she could easily connect with.

"Like Dracula?" She threw out, clinging onto something that was familiar and safe.

"Yeah, just a little less booky and more real." Jake grinned, nodding at Embry that he thought it was going well. Embry just rolled his eyes, deciding he knew Bella far better than the naïve boy in front of him.

"So you guys are like werewolves? Like Michael J Fox in that movie?" Bella queried, thinking of Jake exploding out of his shirt with terrible old school movie special effects.

"No, we're shape shifters, Bells, not werewolves." He tried to keep his voice calm, but the simple mistake was important in his mind and something she needed to understand quickly.

"We don't need a moon or anything like that to change. We can just do it when we feel like it. Or at least that's the idea." Jake said proudly, dismissing the notion of some jumped up Hollywood movie with a little mental derision.

The whole room paused while Bella thought about what she'd heard, about the straight eyes both were managing to maintain, Jake a little more successfully than Embry she decided.

It took approximately one hundred and ninety seven seconds of silence until she exploded, and when she did the words that flew from her mouth came with no warning whatsoever. "If you wanted to fuck with me, you could have done it over the phone, you know. You didn't need to waste my time by driving me all the way out to who-fucking-knows-where just to play some bullshit game. Now either you tell me the truth, or I'm never talking to either one of you ever again… No. Fuck that. I'll make it my point to do exactly what you don't want me to do. If you don't tell me exactly what's going on around here, right this second, I'm leaving and I'm not kidding when I tell you the first person I'll be looking for is Paul."

Embry's hand shot to her arm as she started to rise from the sofa, her blood was boiling as she pictured them both coming up with this stupid story.

"Bells, it's the truth, I promise you." Embry pleaded, his wide eyes boring into hers and with no hesitation at all, she shrugged from his grip.

"Show me then!" She challenged easily knowing they would have to give up their stupid rouse. It was something that both of the boys should have been prepared for. Unfortunately they weren't, so when both answered her at the same time, it led to a few moments of confusion.

"Sure."…. "Absolutely not!"

After a few muttered words between them that she couldn't make out, she noticed Embry's frown turn to an all-out scowl, so she turned her attention to Jacob, the one who was clearly running this sideshow.

"We need to tell her some things first." Embry threw out, a Hail Mary pass if ever there was one.

"No. She doesn't believe us, so do you really think it will mean anything to her yet? We'll just end up having to tell her all over again anyway." Jacob said seriously and she couldn't help the little smug grin she sent Embry's way when he found the look in her eye which verified his suspicions.

Of course she didn't believe him; she wasn't that gullible.

Holding out his hand for her to take, Jacob led her outside of the cabin, leaving her on the bottom step with a firm, "stay put!"

She watched with skepticism as he stepped out into the forest and when a few moments later she was still staring at nothing, she turned to Embry with a smirk on her face. He wasn't looking her way though, and when he turned his eyes down to hers and inclined his eyes towards the trees, she followed them.

It wasn't right to call what she saw a wolf, she decided. It was simply too big and too, well… big. Her mouth dropped open for the smallest of seconds and then a smile drew up the corners of her lips, lapsing quickly into a grin and then a deep chuckle.

"Why're you laughing?" Embry asked, and as the wolf sat down on its haunches, her chuckle became an outright laugh. Her eyes watered up, blurring the world in front of her.

"She thinks it's a trick." Jake growled and she blinked through the blur, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands to remove the tears and really see for herself. Right in the spot where the wolf had sat just a moment ago, sat a very naked, and very angry Jacob.

"Oh." Was all she managed to force from her mouth, the humor gone from her body as she tried to realign her mind with everything she was being shown. It wasn't a joke, she thought, it wasn't a lie. They really were wolves.

Jacob broke her mental whirlpool with his deep timbre, her eyes balancing on the upper part of his body with a huge amount of effort on her part. "Now, Bells you need to go inside, and I need to get dressed. We have a lot more we need to tell you, but first I want a word with Embry."

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><p><strong>an: I can't believe it's Wednesday again! A wonderful thank you to my lovely beta, Twiticulate. I also want to say that I mean no harm in how I've expressed the Quileute legends. I didn't want to go down the route the Meyer took and thus I tried to stay as close to what I researched without actually being too specific. Anyway, next chapter will continue where this one left off and for that, I'll see you again on Sunday. Until then...x**


	12. What Lies Beneath

They both watched her slender body disappear behind the door frame, each lost in their own reverie of whom she had been to them, and who she was now destined to be for someone else. Their eyes and their hearts were heavy, but neither had time to dwell for long.

Rolling his shoulders back, Jacob groaned in pleasure when his bones cracked, the alignment of his human body still suffering from the punishing rapidity of his growth. From the moments he'd spent under Sam's tutelage he knew it would take a while to fully adjust, but he was impatient, his anger now a permanent friend as it incessantly bubbled under the surface of his skin.

"At least she didn't faint." Embry mused. Jake didn't need to look to his friend to know he would be wearing a face of forlorn disappointment.

"We're not telling her about Paul." Jake said, cutting to the quick as he pulled his shirt over his head, muffling his words.

"But you know she's gonna have questions. What the hell are we gonna tell her? She loses her mind when Paul's around, and you know she's too fucking smart to not think it's connected." Embry's voice lost its usual easy stride, the hard edges seeping in, something that had been happening more and more recently. The hand that Jake threw down on his shoulder took away some of his riled tension, but he was quick to throw off the comforting hand, not wanting his emotions dulled by the strength of his Alpha's touch.

"I don't care. She can wonder about it all she wants, but you know what she'll do if we tell her the truth. She'll be a fucking martyr to it, Emb, and you know it. He's too wrapped up in Sam's head right now and if they know how easily she could be manipulated, they'll walk all over her." Jake said firmly, knowing he wasn't going to back down, no matter how wrong his wolf told him his omission would be.

Billy had called them imprints, a soul mate chosen by the wolf to please the man. Jake knew a lot of what his father had called knowledge came from Sam, and Jake was still loathed to believe anything the old wolf said.

"Fine, you're the boss. But when she figures it out, don't think for a second I'm not gonna be the first one telling her this was all on you. I think you're playing with fire man; he's got some freaky control over her. If he really wanted to, I think he could turn her against us in a second." Embry said his peace and then started to walk away, all the while unsure whether Jake would actually let him go.

It had been a steep learning curve for the both of them, and a simplistic friendship had almost buckled under the new understanding that they would never be equals again, that Jacob would always have the power to force Embry's hand. It took a lot of trust on Embry's part to still walk by Jacob's side, but it didn't mean he wasn't aware of it with every breath he took.

"Hey, Bells. How're you holding up?" Embry asked as he threw his body down on the sofa next to her, a perfected impression of someone entirely at ease.

"Umm, I'm not sure really. I mean… yeah." Her voice was a little dazed and he couldn't help feeling the need to offer her comfort, to ease her distress.

"I know what you mean." He said softly, his eyes waiting for her to turn his way, but she never did. The appearance of Jacob in the doorway had effectively stolen her attention.

"Are you ready to go on?" Jake asked as he walked forward, taking his place right in front of her again.

Bella nodded her head, actually quite eager to understand what she'd seen a little better.

They waited while Jacob aligned his thoughts, recognizing that he should have planned this all a little better as he struggled to formulate anything that was neither intimidating nor ultimately complex.

"I don't know where to begin." Jacob admitted and the chortle of laughter which fell from his lips cut through the room, releasing everyone from the hold that had been gripping them all. A familial easiness washed away the lasting tension and Jacob watched as both Bella and Embry's muscles lost their tautened edge.

"How many of you are there?" Bella asked, her voice high and light as her eyes danced back and forth over the two boys in front of her, boys who were now wearing the disguises of who they should have become many years from now. She was fairly certain she already knew the answer, but she still wanted to watch it fall from Jacob's tongue.

"Right now there are five: me, Emb, Sam, Paul and Jared." Jacob stated and Bella rolled the names through her mind, pleased to have a name to go with the man she'd seen often by Sam's side. She didn't have long to ponder, as her question seemed to spur something within Jake.

"The last pack died out with my grandfather, everyone but Sam." Bella opened her mouth to interrupt, but Jake just grinned, held up his hand to stop her and then continued on. "I know, crazy right? But it's the duty of each pack to leave one of their brothers behind to guide the next generation, or at least that's what Billy says."

"But how? I mean, how hasn't anyone figured out that he's…?" Bella tried to mentally calculate how old Sam actually was, but she found the thought actually more shocking than seeing her friend as a giant canine.

"He lives on the edges of the rez, in a cabin that looks like it's been there since the beginning of time, but then you know that, don't you." Jacob stated rather than asked, his eyes masking his true feelings on the subject.

"I'm sorry about that night, Bells. It was the first time I phased into a wolf and things were pretty messed up. Sam was meant to guide us all, to make this whole thing easier, but something's happened to him, Bells. Whether it was the years he spent alone, or everything that happened over the summer, I don't know." Jake sighed and looked to Embry with sad eyes, understanding passing between them.

"Anyway, because of my bloodline, I was always meant to be Alpha, Sam knew that and until I was ready he was supposed to look after everyone, but my wolf didn't like what he'd become. I was only in his pack for a few minutes."

Bella was a little confused and both Embry and Jacob watched as she drew her eyebrows down, mentally working through what she'd heard.

"So Sam's taken over?" She asked finally.

"Sort of. There's only meant to be one pack, but right now there're two. Sam's wolf is old and strong, strong enough that he's controlling Jared and Paul, whether they want to see it that way or not."

Looking to Embry, Jake paused, silently asking his friend if he would like to share his story.

"I phased a little before Jake. I think they knew it was going to happen at some point because of Paul and me. They took me out into the forest and pushed me until I broke."

Bella wasn't sure she wanted to ask, but she couldn't help the words as they sprung from a place of pure curiosity. "How did they push you?"

Embry seemed reluctant to answer, but finally he pieced his words together, but only because it was her asking. "It doesn't matter, Bells. Whatever they did, it worked. I guess that's all you really need to know." He seemed ashamed for reasons Bella couldn't understand, but when she went to grab his hand, he pulled away basking in the memory and trying to suppress the anger that was threatening to spill over within him.

"The wolf is instinctual, Bells, primal even. Anger, or any strong emotion really, is pretty key to that. It's a really great way to force the phasing process to accelerate, as you saw for yourself." It took her a couple minutes to actually grasp what Jake was telling her and once she did, she replayed every moment of the night when Paul had pressed her up against a tree, remembering the things he'd said to her friend.

"He knew you were going to phase?" She said the last word a little uncertainly, hoping she was using their terminology correctly.

"Yeah, and he was trying to stop me." Jake said reluctantly, knowing they were in dangerous territory. Bella sensed the discomfort in the air, and decided to move quickly to change the subject. "So, why now? You said Sam's been around since your grandfather's time, so what about Billy, was he a wolf too?"

"No, he wasn't." Jake said, and then he placed his elbows down on his knees, leaning forward. "Bells, you told Embry that Paul made you promise to call him if Alice comes near you, can you think why that would be?" His eyes penetrated right into her, twisting her stomach as she tried to abandon her disbelief.

"They're vampires?" Her voice was hesitant, but then Jake was nodding his head and what she knew about the world began to fall apart. She didn't know why it needed to happen at this moment rather than the ones that had come before, but suddenly this whole thing had taken on a new clarity. Her lungs wouldn't fill right, and the more she thought about how she needed just one deep breath to balance herself, she drew in little shaky gulps of air, each one less satisfying than the last.

"Breathe, Bells, just breathe." Jake said firmly, and he lifted her chin, forcing her to find his comforting stare. His body rose and fell with hers and after a few minutes of hand holding, she could finally fill her body with sweet air.

It made perfect sense. The Cullens had never been quite right in her mind, but of course she was never going to be crazy enough to make the leap to Vampire. "So Alice eats people?" Bella asked incredulously, finding the image impossible to actually manifest.

"No. The Cullens only feed from animals. They lived in Forks a long time ago and created an agreement with the old pack."

Bella's mind still felt like it was overloading with all the information she was trying to process. "So, this agreement... It means that they don't hurt people?" She asked, hoping to understand.

"No, they chose that life for themselves. The agreement means we won't kill them, at least so long as they maintain their current diet." Embry interjected and she nodded slowly.

"So they know about you? About the whole wolf thing?" Remembering the way Edward had promised to tell her everything she wanted to know, she wondered what his angle was. "So that's why they didn't want me to come down here?" She added, pleased to have found a connection with something which had previously left her baffled.

"Yeah, they think we're dangerous, that we can't control ourselves." Bella listened to Jake's words and remembered Paul saying that something which was perhaps a little more honest.

"So if the Cullens are vampires, why are they here? I mean, I don't get it, they come to school." Bella couldn't conceive any reason why anyone would attend high school for any longer than absolutely necessary.

"It's not like in the books, Bells, they can come out in the day. And to be perfectly honest, I don't really know what's up with the Cullens, but they aren't like normal leeches. I think maybe they're just trying to fit in." Jacob really didn't seem to know much. Bella stifled her snort, the one where she figured if all the Cullens were trying to do was fit in, then maybe they needed another game plan.

"Do you have any questions?" Embry asked, drawing her from her thought process currently swirling.

"So, do Alice and Edward, I mean the Cullens, they know about you all, right?" It hadn't come out quite as succinctly as she hoped, but the main point was still there.

"Yeah they do, Bells. Embry was in Sam's pack longer than I was, not by much, but he did manage to see that they know who we are, or at least that the pack is back." Jacob responded easily, but something in his words caught Bella's attention, something she hadn't picked up on before.

"What do you mean Emb's seen?"

Jacob ruffled his eyebrows for a moment, wondering if he really had been so careless to omit something so obvious, but he couldn't remember saying anything regarding the pack mind. "Sorry Bells, I'm fucking this whole thing up, aren't I? I don't even know how to explain it really, but when we're phased, when we're wolves, we can see the thoughts of the other guys in the pack."

"So you can read their minds?" Bella tried to help, hoping she was filling in the gaps that Jacob was failing to explain.

"No, not exactly. It's like being able to see through two people's thoughts at once, but only being able to pick out the most important things. Like a satellite feed that only picks up the clearest channels."

Bella didn't exactly appreciate the technological example, but she could grasp what he was trying to say. "So when you guys are wolves, you can read the most prominent thoughts. Does that mean you still can hear Sam?" Bella asked, trying again to find some clarity now that the waters had been muddied once again.

"No, like I said before, Sam has taken temporary control of Jared and Paul, and I'm not strong enough yet to bring them into our pack. Until then, we can't hear them."

Hearing Paul's name again brought a whole new influx of thoughts cascading over Bella's mind and instead of thinking about what she would like answered, she was secretly wondering what Paul's wolf looked like and whether his fur would be soft or not.

The light in the room was beginning to fade and though the two boys had the strength of vision to correct the difference, it also made them equally aware that their fragile companion did not. Silently Jacob asked Embry whether he thought she'd had enough for the day, and when he received a decisive nod in response, they both rose to their feet.

"We need to get you home, Bells. You need some time to think about everything." Jacob said firmly and she rose herself, thinking perhaps she might protest. "Can I ask more questions tomorrow?" She asked, knowing that if this was a one-day open season she was going to sit down until midnight and her voice was hoarse.

"You can ask anything, Bells, anytime. I promise." Embry said with an assured smile, and so she allowed him to lead her back out to the car, her focus dwindling as she delved deeper and deeper into everything she'd learnt.

The ride home was definitively shorter than the one out and while Jacob promised to fix and return her truck the next day, she bid goodnight hesitantly, unsure of the knowledge she now possessed.

Tucked underneath her bedspread, she tried to force herself to sleep, but the truth of the day was heavy on her mind. When sleep did finally come, the claws and talons of enemies unknown had her writhing in a restless state until her mind could simply take no more.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta Twitculate... I'll see you all again on Wednesday **

**xxx**


	13. Silent Hill

The ceiling had slowly meandered its way through a deep charcoal grey, all the way back to a light bright cream, and as Bella thought about how long she'd actually laid in this position, she knew the process had taken a little under five hours.

Two days had passed since her enlightening discussion at the cabin in the woods and still she found herself reveling in moments of disbelief, pure snippets of the old reality where black was black, and wolves didn't morph into friends in front of her very eyes. Sometimes she tried to convince herself that she liked the new world, the one where anything seemed possible, but mostly she just stared, eyes blank in a distant world as she moved little and thought a lot.

"Are you ready yet, Bells?" Charlie called, knocking lightly before peeking his head around the door, a look a disappointment flashing unseen as he noted her unchanged position.

"You don't have to come you know?" He'd taken her lack of movement to mean she was hesitating, not knowing that time had simply swept by under a distracted gaze.

"No, I want to. I'll be two minutes, I promise." Throwing her legs over the end of her bed she bid the sunlit creams of the ceiling goodbye. Throwing open her wardrobe, she picked out the only formal clothes she actually owned and quickly threw off her pajamas to make herself a little more presentable. Charlie had surprised her the night before when he'd asked if she would like to accompany him to the remembrance ceremony being held for Emily Young, and she'd surprised him a little more by actually saying yes. She wasn't quite sure of her motivation yet, but when she'd thought over the invitation, something in her gut had told her it would be the right thing to do, and that was enough for her.

Pinning her hair back in a neat bun, she threw on a thin coat of mascara and tinted lip-balm, before rummaging through the bottom of her closet for a pair of black ballet flats, something she'd bought with her mother and then only worn once. They would go well with her knee length black dress, and so she began digging through her endless sneakers. Just as Charlie reappeared in her doorway she pulled the second shoe free, tumbling back slightly with the momentum. After quickly righting herself she stood proudly, slipping the shoes on and then turned to her father for his assessment. His eyes looked weary, but he smiled through the truth of his emotions just for her. "You look beautiful, Bells."

Not being used to compliments, and not being sure if this day was the best to be receiving them, she thanked him politely and then rushed them both out of the house, grimacing slightly when she realized that they would inevitably be taking the cruiser.

As they edged closer and closer to the north, Bella felt a strange patter of nervous energy build in her stomach. She didn't know or understand the source of it at all, and as her father snapped his finger upwards to activate the cruiser's blinker, she knew they were close. The traditional Makah burial had occurred earlier in the day, a private affair for the tribe only, but after spending a lot of time with the grieving family, Charlie had been personally asked to join them in the afternoon. She understood that it was a slightly unorthodox request, but she also knew that her father was touched, especially given the amount of energy he had poured into the unfortunate dramatic extermination of such a young life.

"We're here." Charlie said, his voice filling the silent space between them as he pulled on the handbrake, stating the obvious.

They were sitting high over a cliff-top, looking out over an ocean that expanded as far as the eye could see and as Bella trailed her eyes over the throng of dark bodies below, she was a little surprised to find one or two that she recognized.

The thick thud of metal on metal set her heart racing as her father stood waiting for her to extricate herself, she forced herself to gather her nerves. It was only seconds later that she was by his side and they walked together down the slight gradient, a few pairs of eyes were drawn their way.

She smiled slightly at Embry, keeping the question of his attendance from her eyes. She knew that his mother was Makah, but she'd never heard him mention any familiarity with Emily or her family. She felt a further stirring of confusion as her eyes moved to his right. Jacob was standing firmly by his side, his expanded shoulders held high with a new inner strength, but it was the girl tucked under his arm that left her mind puzzled. Her stare was so intent that she didn't see Jacob turning to look her way, the intensity of her focus making his fingers tighten a little on the soft flesh of Leah's arm.

The action made the older Quileute girl turn to see what had him riled, her head flirting back and forth until she noted the pale figure heading their way, the light pallor of her skin even more pronounced under the dark tones of her dress.

"Hi Bella." Leah said softly, welcoming the girl whether she understood her presence or not. It wasn't time to question whether she belonged, no matter how much Sam had tried to drum it into their minds that the pale face wasn't ever going to be one of them.

"Hey." Bella almost whispered back, nodding to her father that he was fine to leave her be, that she would be safe here with her friends.

"I didn't know you were coming." Embry interrupted, and she stepped a little closer to him, finding the way Jake was looking at her a little intimidating.

"Charlie was invited by Emily's family and he asked if I wanted to come with him." She shrugged, not completely comfortably as she attempted to justify her presence in her own mind. She was beginning to feel a little like she was intruding and Jake wasn't exactly doing anything to help that feeling fade away.

"I'm sure Emily would be happy so many people came." Leah offered, her eyes heavy with sadness even though she wore a light smile on her lips. Bella knew this was her way of telling her she was welcome and it gave her a little confidence to turn to Jake. Holding his eyes, she watched him visibly soften, but then something over her shoulder caught his attention and his whole body seemed to lurch upwards, the tension written all over his face.

She couldn't help her curiosity as she turned her head. The two men walked with an assured ease, their strides long and clean as they drew ever closer.

Bella would be ashamed if she knew that her eyes had glazed over, and possibly even mortified if she realized that she had actually taken two steps forward, her instincts pulling her to him as if by magic.

He'd already known she would be here, his wolf so sure of her that he could sense her wherever she might be. He was angry that she was standing with his little brother, the possessive part of his pride knowing that while Jacob Black might not care anymore, both the boys in front of him had wanted her for more than friendship.

"Black." He heard Jared say, but he was already watching the baby Alpha bristle. It brought a smile to his lips when he reached out and pulled his little imprint into his body, and the bristle morphed into an all-out hatred inspired tremor. Paul knew that Jacob would do nothing to pull her from his arms and from the way he could feel her heart relax to be near him, he was fairly sure that she wouldn't be moving away from him of her own accord.

"This isn't the time or the place for this, Paul." Jacob gritted out, his teeth clenched to hold himself back. The strength of his wolf was pounding in the Alpha's skull, telling him that he was wrong to be at odds with something that his gods had chosen for one of his own.

Hearing her friend's voice seemed to shake Bella out of her Paul filled daze and while she could clearly recall being pulled into his arms, the warmth of him filling her so quickly and completely had left her losing track of everything since. The forfeiture of control was highly unsettling and though it was a struggle to do so, she drew herself away slightly. The space gave her the clarity to remember where she was, and as a light blush graced her cheeks she stepped back to Embry's side.

Paul didn't look particular impressed with her decision and though she was only moments away from running back to him, to the place where she found her peace, she forced herself to look away. Finding the watchful eyes of her father, her blush deepened, wondering if he'd seen her wrapped in the arms of a stranger.

It took all of her control as the ceremony began to keep her feet planted where they stood, and unaware of the feelings it would invoke around her, she unconsciously began to grip Embry's hand, physically using him as an anchor to keep her body in place.

She understood that there was something more here than a simple attraction and as she distractedly listened to the Makah Elders talk of how Emily would now be free to swim alongside their ocean gods, she finally figured out the answers were standing right by her side.

Shamed by the trail of her thoughts as they stood to celebrate the life of a girl she'd only come to know in death, she dropped her head. It wasn't right, she concluded, to be so self-involved and silently she apologized to the spirits and to Emily.

Finding a moment of acceptance in her honesty, she decided to step away, knowing it was wrong for her to be lingering now that she'd made her peace. She didn't notice the eyes that watched her step away, but she did feel the presence on her shoulder as she loomed ever closer to the cruiser.

"Are you okay?" Embry asked, his dark eyes looking her over even though he already knew that she was physically fine. It was hard for him to hold back from embracing her, but she had already closed herself off to him, her arms folded across her body.

"I'm fine, Emb. You should go back." Her words were spoken with a certain amount of finality, because though she'd chosen to walk away for her own reasons, she also wasn't too eager to let him know that he wasn't the man she had hoped would follow.

"Why'd you leave?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried to figure her out.

Biting her lip, she looked over his shoulder at the solemn bodies below, knowing that while it might have been selfish to leave, it would have been more so to stay.

"I was thinking about something and I didn't think it was right to stand there if I couldn't respect the moment." Bella mused, pausing to formulate the question in her mind that she really wanted to ask. She opened her mouth to speak, but a movement in her periphery caught her attention and as she turned to look, she caught Embry doing the same.

His huge body stood on the edge of the forest, and though he was too far away for it to be true, she thought for a moment that she could feel the deep rumble of his anguish pulse through the air. She was completely incapable of pulling her eyes away and she didn't notice Embry striding quickly from her side, back down into the crowd below.

Embry might have been discrete in the words he mumbled into Jacob's ear, but he couldn't hide the man standing above them all when Jacob turned obviously.

Bella watched with fascination as Leah powered up the hill, pushing back Jacob's hands as he grabbed at her, begging her to stop. The thick air seemed to still as en masse five dozen people turned to watch as little Leah Clearwater rose up on her toes, bringing her delicate hand back before it snapped loudly across Sam Uley's cheek.

An audible gasp floated across the land, but was quickly drowned out by a loud shriek. "Get the fuck off me Jake, let me go." Leah's feet were kicking wildly through the air as Jacob lifted her away, her loud exclamations of anger turning into something inaudible and dark, as shouts turned to gut wrenching sobs.

The grief pouring from the girl was enough to distract everyone as two pairs of thick hands wrestled with the giant, the scuffle turning dangerous as fists began to fly back and forth. Bella found her heart jump out of her chest when she noticed blood flowing from Paul's lip. Something primal sparked within her and it was only when a strong arm lifted her from her rushing feet did she even consider what she was actually going to do.

"Leave him, Bells. He'll be fine, I promise." Embry whispered in her ear, and though she struggled slightly against his hold, she knew he was right.

"We're going now, but I think Billy is going to invite you both back to Jake's. We can talk then if you want." Embry settled her back on her own feet and waited for the moment when he knew she wasn't just going to go running off on some suicide mission to save a man who didn't need saving.

"Okay." She concluded, but only because her father had just moved to Embry's side, his eyes questioning why her friend was still gripping firmly around her shoulders.

"Everything okay with you two kids?" Charlie asked, unable not to, even when Embry stepped back.

"We're fine, Chief. I was just making sure Bells was okay," Embry offered, but her father didn't lose the speculative look from his eye until she confirmed that everything was in fact fine.

"Okay, well, if you're sure. Come on Bells, I told Billy we would join them for dinner, no doubt you'll be there too kid." Charlie concluded, his voice lighter, the only gesture he would make to let Embry know everything was back on its usual track.

"Do you think I could ride with you and Jake?" Bella asked cautiously, but from the way Embry's eyes darkened when he turned around to find a very upset Leah wrapped up in Jacob's arms, she already knew the answer before he said a word.

"Sorry Bells, but I don't think that's such a good idea. Anyway, we brought the truck and unless you want to sit in back, we just don't have the room." Embry grinned at her apologetically before jogging away.

Bella watched him go, watched him all the way until Charlie cleared his throat and she folded her body up into the passenger seat of the cruiser.

"So Jake finally got himself a girlfriend. She got over that Sam guy pretty quickly, didn't she?" Charlie asked, making conversation, not knowing at that moment, Bella was thinking exactly the same thing. They were the last words spoken between them as the evening shadows began to fall around them, the cruiser's headlights beginning to cut into the angles of the forestry as they meandered back to Jake's.

Her father parked behind Jake's truck, the true darkness of the day settling in as he stepped out into the bitter night. She followed him all the way to the Black's front door, but when Billy let her father in and announced that Jacob and his friends were already out in the shed, she turned on her heel and headed that way alone.

Their voices were louder than they realized, of that she was sure. They were so loud that they stopped her dead, her body standing hidden in plain sight.

"…you can't lie to her, Jacob; she'll find out. Anyway, don't you think you're being a bit of a fucking hypocrite?" Leah's voice was a little hoarse, but it didn't seem to be holding her back at all, the angry energy from her voice slicing right into Bella's curiosity.

"I'm not having this conversation again. Don't worry, when she finds out I'll make sure Bella knows you weren't happy with my choice, just like I told Embry." Jake sounded firm and sure of himself as he spoke, but her name had drawn her body in just a little closer. She'd thought they'd sworn to her that the secrets had stopped, that they were on her side.

Striding forward, she flung open the little slice of tin, revealing herself and the fire that was burning in her eyes.

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><p><strong>an: Ooops, I almost forgot to post this! Here is chapter 13 and while I'm working on 14 right now, I'm ridiculously busy for the next few weeks, so I'm going to do my very best to post on Sunday and Wednesday as I've been doing, but if I am a few days out, please don't hunt me down with your pitchforks! As usual a big thank you to my beta Twiticulate and to all you lovely readers for joining me for the telling of this tale. xxx**


	14. The Grudge

"How much of that did you hear?" Jacob asked. His hands began grinding back and forth over his eyes, and when he pulled back, she could see that whatever choice he had made for whatever reasons, hadn't come to him easily.

"Oh, I think I'd say just about enough." Bella surmised, her hands crossing firmly across her chest, because even though she could see the emotions written clear on her old friend's face and in many ways they made her fallible, she was hurt in the knowledge that she had truly believed he had been honest with her. "I have to say though, it's got to be something pretty fucking huge if you don't want me to know. I mean seriously, what's bigger than you guys… well you guys…?" Bella fumbled her words, her eyes landing square on Jacob and pleading for his help.

"It's okay Bells, she knows about the packs."

"Oh… Bella concluded. Her eyes moved from Jacob's face to Leah's, and then finally they landed on the body hidden in the darkened corner. It felt like a further stab in the gut to have him sit there and be a party to her betrayal.

"It was my choice to make, and I made it Bells. There are just things going on that are too important to risk you." Jacob said sadly, but it was Leah scoffing loudly at his words that drew her attention.

"Are you kidding me, Jake? She's too important to risk?" Anger faded in her voice only to be replaced by sadness, and for the second time that day Bella found herself regarding Leah and Jacob with entirely new eyes.

"I don't get it." The words stumbled from her lips, breaking their intense stare. "I mean, am I being completely obtuse or is there something going on between you two?" Bella asked incredulously. Perhaps if she'd known the ground she was stepping on was volatile, she might have held herself back with a little more caution, but she simply had no idea. The first indication that she'd mis-stepped was Embry slowly shaking his head in the shadows, his frown full of foreboding.

"And what the fuck would be wrong if there was?" Leah retorted, rising to her full height, one raised eyebrow helping to highlight her derision.

"Leah, just calm down okay?" Embry hissed, but he had already said too much and Jacob whirled his body, turning to his old friend with impassioned eyes. "Don't fucking talk to her like that."

The room didn't feel big enough for whatever this was, so Bella took a step back, feeling the sharp edges of the night embrace her as she gave herself a little room to breathe. She still felt a little claustrophobic, but the panic had been subdued, knowing she was no longer trapped within so much bubbling testosterone.

"I didn't mean anything by it Jake, but I do think everyone just needs to calm down, to stop hiding shit, and talk. There's just no point in keeping this from her when she knows something isn't right. She just hasn't figured out the words." Embry spoke slowly, remaining in his lowered seat as he opened his palms out expressively.

"He's right." Leah said a little snidely, but it didn't stop her from slumping to the floor, using a wooden crate as a body to lean against, her legs drawn up to her sleight frame. That left only Bella and Jacob standing, and somehow she knew it was her turn next. She didn't feel comfortable bringing herself entirely into the room, so she sat just inside the doorway, making her silent declaration.

When a few minutes passed and no-one moved, Leah snapped out loudly "Jacob, sit!" and while Bella tried to hold in her snort from her friend being commanded, and obeying, like a common dog, Embry did nothing to hold back his guffaws.

When the room finally managed to reach a silent decorum, Bella let out a repressed sigh. "Can you all seriously stop talking in riddles? I thought we were done when you told me about the whole wolf thing, but now I'm getting the impression that I've only just scratched the surface… so somebody, please start talking." Her words were well thought out and passionately presented, the problem was that the two bodies who felt she should be in the know, turned to Jacob for his verdict.

"…And can you please tell me why you need _his_ permission?" She added, not missing a beat now that her mind was functioning at capacity.

"He's the Alpha, so he makes the final decisions." Embry replied succinctly, holding back how he truly felt about those simple words.

Bella looked at Jacob, who was now sitting on the rough ground, his legs bent slightly at the knee but taking up so much casual space that everything seemed smaller around him. "You gonna make my decisions for me too, Jake?" Bella asked jokingly, but from the silence that she found in return, she wondered just how close she was to the truth.

"He can't. Not yet." Leah said softly, and Jake turned to her, obviously surprised that she was saying anything at all.

"What's that mean? Not yet?" Bella asked, not caring who would respond, just hoping somebody would.

"Just tell her Jake. Tell her or I will." Leah implored, her whole demeanor suggesting she was beyond frustrated with the situation.

"If I tell you something Bells, you have to promise me that you won't go and do anything stupid, that you won't try to interfere." Jacob said, looking at her firmly.

The thoughts spun around in her head, and then she remembered that she was done making promises, done giving parts of herself and getting so little in return. "I will do my best." She offered finally, but it only seemed to rile Jacob further.

"Not good enough, Bells. The least you have to promise me is that you won't get involved?" Jake said, rising to his feet. She could feel the energy he was throwing off as he began to prowl about the room, his hands pulled into tight fists.

"If it's so important why don't you just force me?" Bella threw out, pushing for the answers she so desperately wanted.

"Because you aren't in my pack. Is that what you want to hear? Because, right now, you belong to Sam." Jacob was angry, so angry that the fists he had formed could no longer hold back the ripple of tremors that threatened to overspill throughout his body. Instinctively Bella knew that she should be moving away, but the way his skin was trembling had her utterly enthralled, too stunned to move.

"Jacob?" Leah rose slowly to her feet, deliberately approaching him with measured steps. Experiencing a moment of unfathomable déjà vu, Bella tried to puzzle through her memories to find the origin of the strange sensation. Fascinated by the languid confidence of Leah's approach, Bella awed as Jacob's tremors subdued, her presence alone enough to damper his rage.

The memory hit her just as Leah's small hands traced their way up Jacob's arms, the sickening reminder of Sam and that dirty little room in his home pressing violently against her repulsed skull. Whatever influence Leah held over the two men seemed particularly powerful, and as Jacob allowed her to pull him down to the floor, her body wrapped around his, Bella wondered just how much of an error it would be to state her conclusions.

"I'm not Quileute." Bella thought aloud, working her way past Leah and Jacob's embrace to the words he'd spoken to bring forth his own wrath.

"That you aren't." Embry said brightly, and three heads found themselves turning his way, his presence actually forgotten in the midst of the tension.

"So I can't be a wolf right?" She deduced further, keeping her eyes trained on Embry, as right now he seemed to be the one willing to give up the answers.

"Pretty unlikely, but then again, a month ago I would have said the same about us. So who knows? Maybe your people morph into possums or something?" Embry shrugged, a friendly glint in his eye letting her know this was his way of trying to bring some normality to the occasion.

A loud sigh diminished the smile that had been working its way onto her lips, bringing her attention back to Jacob and the girl he was currently extricating from his body.

The question that eventually fell from his lips though seemed to come from nowhere. "Do you believe that people have souls?" Jacob was looking at her with an intensity that she couldn't describe, and so she gave the question the thought it deserved instead of simply answering blindly. "I don't know." She concluded honestly. "I think so… yes." The question was a struggle for her, one which she didn't think she'd ever be able to answer with anything approaching finality.

"Good, because believing in souls will make what I'm going to tell you a whole hell of a lot easier to swallow." Jacob nodded as he spoke, seemingly pleased with her.

"Sam told the Elders about something which had happened with the previous wolves, something which was extremely rare, but guarded intensely within the pack. Sometimes the wolf and the man are at odds with each other, the spirit and the body at war. In times like these, the gods would bestow that wolf with an imprint, someone chosen by the wolf to counter the imbalance created after phasing." Jacob paused to take a breath and Bella watched as he turned to Leah and winked, clearly sharing a private moment.

"Leah is my imprint." Jacob said, affirming what had just popped firmly into Bella's mind. "When I phased for the first time, I didn't want to be Alpha, I didn't want the responsibility or the power. I tried to fight against it, something which should have come to me as naturally as breathing."

"So your wolf chose Leah?" Bella asked, looking at Sam's now obviously ex-fiancée with new, more hesitant eyes.

"Yeah, she's the other half of my soul Bells, the thing which brings a balance between myself and my wolf." Jacob said a little dreamily and she couldn't help but feel a little skepticism, a little uneasy in this new knowledge.

"Sam told the Elders that an imprint would become an honorary member of the pack, someone to protect above all others, even above the innocents of the tribe." Jacob's words carried a huge weight with them, and though she couldn't place why, she felt a burden press down on her shoulders.

"So Leah is part of the pack now?" Bella asked, unsure whether Jacob was actually welcoming questions at this point in time or not.

"Yeah, she's part of my pack, just as you're a part of Sam's." Jacob concluded, looking at her emphatically. Bella felt the burden twist, what she'd thought morphing into what she now knew. "Paul." She answered, a name which carried an unfathomable weight.

"You're his imprint, Bells. It's why you aren't yourself around him and it's exactly why I didn't want you to know. Sam, Jared and Paul are bound to protect you, but I don't trust them Bells, and I didn't want you to know about it until I managed to get to Paul, to bring him across to my pack."

Bella's arms swept her knees up close to her chest, pulling her whole body inwards as she tried to think rationally about everything that she'd seen and done when Paul was near. She knew that she hadn't exactly been herself, but she also knew that her actions had been choices, each and every one made in the balance of her mind.

"So I could help you then? I could help get him away from Sam?" Bella asked, not understanding that this was precisely what Jacob had feared.

"No Bella, you can't." Jacob growled, his fist pounding into the dry earthy floor as he whipped around to look at the only two members of his pack. "You see? This is exactly what I knew she'd do, fucking sacrifice herself for him."

She felt herself shrink under the callous tone of his voice, visibly attempting to diminish herself down to nothing.

"Yeah we get it, Jake. We never said she wouldn't. But it's kinda irrelevant, don't you think? We need to be convincing her why she can't, rather than scaring her with your temper." Leah said firmly, bringing him back to focus on what was important, rather than playing a game of 'I told you so'.

Jake huffed once, but he also seemed to subdue somewhat under her words, and Bella figured the hand that she was running up and down his forearm wasn't going amiss either.

"Bells, Sam isn't stable right now. With him in charge, you aren't safe being around him or Paul, and in a lot of ways, you aren't exactly safe with us either. He's Paul's Alpha right now, and while he might respect the imprint, it doesn't guarantee you any safety. I'd bet money that Paul feels the same way too. If he wanted to be around Bells, don't you think he would be?" He raised one eyebrow in her direction and she knew he was challenging her ability to make sensible decisions when the handsome man was near.

"But what if I asked him to switch sides, to join you?" She implored, looking for some way to make this right.

"It might work, but then again if Sam finds out, there's no telling what he might do. He's fucking volatile, Bells. He could hurt you, maybe even kill you if he lost control." Embry offered, but she was stuck on the possibility of might, not the caution of harm.

"Bells, just fucking forget it. If you think you're going to help, I can promise you it won't. If you get involved you might end up getting one of us killed in the process." Jake said firmly, hitting her right where he knew it would hurt the most. "Paul's a big boy Bells, he can make his own choices, and he knows the options he's got open to him. Just give him time to come around."

Bella nodded her head slowly, but it didn't stop her mind from processing through the options she had available to her. The most important thing, she decided was that no matter what, Jacob and Embry needed to believe she was going to sit idly by, doing nothing that could potentially rock the boat.

"Okay, I get it and I won't do anything crazy. But do you think you could maybe tell me a little more about this whole imprint thing?" She asked, throwing on the sweetest smile she thought they could tolerate without giving herself away. It didn't stop the curious looks being thrown her way from Leah, but she knew that Jacob and Embry had bought her act. When they shared a clear, yet obvious grin between them, she allowed half her mind to wander away, to plot just what she could do next as they waxed lyrical on the pros and cons of being offered the other half of your soul.

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><p><strong>an: I'm having a bit of a snarkle-fest today, so I really hope I've done the right thing with this chapter. A thank you to my wonderful beta, Twiticulate. And another to all of you who're along with me for this story; for anyone who's taken the time to review/to alert/or simply to follow along with the words on the page... I'll see you again on Wednesday!**

**xxx  
><strong>


	15. Stir of Echoes

It had taken her three laborious days to come up with the plan, three achingly cold rotations of the earth to formulate something which she still had no confidence would actually work. Jacob and Embry had been more than willing to explain what little they actually understood about imprinting to her once she pledged her allegiance to their wishes. Jacob had told her that Paul would likely know approximately where she was in relation to him at all times, and could possibly even feel her emotions if they were intense enough. Rather than invoking some serious anger or fear to draw him out, she'd decided to give him the opportunity to come to her himself, to prove her friends wrong.

She'd originally arranged to meet up with Embry after school, but after a phone call this morning where his voice had sliced through her emotions with its intensity, telling her something more important had come up to keep their plans, she was now running blind. Instead of paying attention in School, Bella spent each lesson warred within herself whether she should simply give up and sit around the house like every other monotonous afternoon that now seemed to be the fill of her existence.

The decision was made as her body crossed from Forks into the tribal land, only a little after four pm. The few hours left of daylight seemed plenty of time to draw him from the shadows, and of course it was just short enough that if anyone saw her she could simply plead boredom, desperate to feed on air that wasn't stagnantly rolling back and forth throughout her bedroom.

Her plan was simple really and after an intense and quite forthcoming conversation with Charlie about her rights as a human being, as his daughter and regarding her mental deterioration from being held prisoner in her own home, he had sullenly watched her walk out the door that morning. She knew it wasn't the end of their discussion, but he hadn't barricaded the doorway, tied her to a chair, or threatened her at gunpoint, so she figured it had also been wonderfully successful.

The all too familiar road to La Push roared magnificently under the tires of her old truck as she powered towards her destination. She couldn't help a few reassuring glances at the gas gauge every once in a while, shaking her head with humorless mirth.

The forestry had been her initial destination of choice, but as she pulled up to the little strip of dirt used traditionally as a car park for those looking for the more interesting and taxing trails in the area, she couldn't help the little flutter of hesitancy that rose in her chest. Steeling her nerves, she slowly opened the heavy door, her feet coming to the ground in silence as she slid her body out into the chilled air. She stared out into the deep depths of oblivion, unable to bring herself to close the door, to expose herself fully to what lay within the twisted barks and branches that went far deeper than her eye could see.

Minutes passed and nothing changed, Bella's hands gripped firmly, staring through the closed panel of glass, telling herself that there was nothing to fear, nothing she could find in the darkness that wouldn't dare to travel in the light. But her mind had lost its naiveté and what had once been a forest with only a feral mammal or two to respect, was now a haven for all that she had taken for granted, things that had only nestled safely in the black and white words of her revered authors. The word had never really invoked any feeling in her before, but as she stood and mulled it over in her mind, she decided that 'Vampire' was something she should certainly fear. The shiver that ran over her skin as an image of the Cullens eerie eyes flashed through her mind was the final push she needed to slide right back into her truck.

He could find her somewhere else to exercise her plan, she concluded, somewhere that didn't send terror hurtling down her spine.

The day was cold enough that she found the beach deserted, and though she didn't feel particularly positive that he would come to her out in the open, she still set her shoulders back firmly as she marched down to the pebbled shores, the wind whipping unabatedly at her cold tinted cheek bones.

When she reached the rocky outcropping at the end of the beach for the third time, she finally concluded that the day was a bust. On her second lap she'd been sure she felt the strange sensation of hidden eyes on her body, but now she had to admit it had been nothing more than the conclusions of a hopeful mind. She was cold and tired and deeply disappointed that he hadn't come to her, especially as Jake had promised Paul would know when she was near. The ever increasing gaping chasm of her gut finally convinced her that they had been right, and therefore she had been wrong. He simply didn't want her near. The thought tinged all of their previous encounters, and where previously she had convinced herself that he had strode upon her by choice, she now believed each time had been nothing more than an accident of chance.

"Idiot!" She muttered to herself as she pushed her tired feet up the incline towards her truck, pushing her hair, now tangled with salt from the ocean spray, away from her face with irritation. Her truck was a lonely but welcome figure and only when she was feet away, her eyes now focused completely on the sanctuary the old beast would provide, did she manage to spot the white sliver of paper imprisoned under the weight of a wiper.

Her feet stopped, her whole body firing with energy as her head whirled around, looking for whoever had left behind a souvenir. Not a single breathing soul was in sight, and as she spun eagerly on the spot, her eyes found themselves back on the paper, flapping with irritation as the wind picked up violently, rushing in ferociously from the expansive ocean beyond.

It had been so long since the rain had fallen from the sky that she didn't even notice the change in the air, the thick clouds rolling in as the pressure pushed down, warning her that something very powerful was headed her way.

When she could hold back no more, her legs pushed her the few feet forward, her fingers tingling with impatience as she struggled to free the note, her touch clumsy and slow.

_I need to speak with you. _

_Meet me out on the trail where you parked earlier. _

_Paul_

There was no moment of hesitation as she clung ferociously to his words.

He'd been watching her, just as she'd assumed he would, and now she would have the chance that she was looking for; the opportunity to save him from whatever spell Sam was operating under.

Bella threw the truck around the small bends in the road, careless in the moment as she fought against her own impatience, deliberately telling herself that he wasn't the cause of her irrational behavior. He was close, so close that she could almost taste him on her tongue, and knowing that only drove her foot down a little harder, pulling him ever closer. It was a struggle to hold back as she slid the vast vehicle into a presentable parking position, and then finally she was out in the air, her heart fluttering as she slammed the driver's door shut with the confidence she'd lacked only hours earlier.

The forest didn't look so daunting anymore, and as she stepped out of the light, her senses tightened as her eyes darted and her ears strained, searching for him, aware that he was likely already watching her.

She's been sure that he would stop her almost as soon as she'd left the civilized world behind, but she soon found herself scrambling over gnarled roots, tripping into pockets of uneven earth hidden under a blanket of crispy fallen leaves.

A noise behind her had her pirouetting on the spot, a grace she wouldn't normally possess overcoming her in her moment of surprise. The light had dimmed impossibly, the canopy of thick foliage above her pulling the underworld into a living, breathing darkness. The sound of her own heart beat wildly in her ears, but above that only the rustles of nature permeated her mind. She didn't want to believe it, but she had the sinking suspicion that she was alone. She couldn't find the tingling otherworldly sense of eyes on her body, and as she forced her own breaths to slow, she feared that this whole thing had been a trick. Her paranoia went straight to Embry and Jacob, but she squashed that thought as it rose, unwilling to believe they could be so untrusting of her. But then guilt took over and she realized that she'd done something far worse to them, lying as she held their gazes, telling them with her own impression of innocence that they had nothing to fear from her, that she would do as they'd asked.

She didn't know when she'd started walking again, but as she pushed her rambling thoughts away, she recognized that the trail was becoming harder to follow, less of a certain path and more of a hint of something. Struggling with her own rapidly harrowed emotions, she forced herself to concentrate, to look for markers, distinctive points that she could find again. But every tree looked like the next and even more like the one before.

The option of turning around never actually occurred to her, never entered her mind as a possibility, so as she stepped further and further towards a sight she had yet to see, she understood less and less that she was no longer on any path other than her own, drawn to a place by something she was yet to truly understand.

The ache behind her eyes grew slowly from an irritant to an outright pain. The world was becoming harder and harder to see, and as she rubbed her eyes, pushed aside the teary frustration that was building in her chest, she understood that going back was now no more welcoming that moving forward. She was lost. Utterly, thoroughly and intensely lost. The tears that she'd managed to suppress only moments before began to trickle silently down her cheeks. Charlie would probably shackle her to her bed if she ever found her way out of this mess, she decided.

Something was wrong, she decided very suddenly. The undercurrent of sounds which had followed her, accompanied her along this treacherous path; were gone. There was no rustle in the undergrowth, no calls from the animals that lived hidden all around her. The abrupt, deafening silence made her heart go cold. There were only a few things that could invoke this kind of other-worldly reaction from the land; two thirds of which made her heart stop in terror. Straining to find any noise, she tried to suppress the loud timely thunk of her heart, the gasps of air being sucked into her lungs. She was panicking and she could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

"Hello?" Bella called out, her voice ricocheting from one tree to another, bouncing around her and confirming how alone she was. It was the last touch to send her over the edge.

Her feet started out at a fast walk, but all too soon she was running, desperate to get away from whatever was coming her way.

Branches sliced through her outstretched palms, but she was too frantic to feel the pain, her vision blurry from the incoming night and a wash of tears that simply wouldn't abate. She ran until her body was shaking with exertion, adrenaline and fear coursing through her body, leaving behind an inhuman rattle. Slumping to the floor, she knew all last vestiges of her strength were gone from her body. The flashing hysteria numbed to something manageable and as she nestled back against a thick trunk, promising herself she would only rest for a moment, she closed her eyes looking for a second of relief.

Bella woke under a tree that was older than her father, leaves and dirt entwined in her mussed up hair. She couldn't clearly remember falling asleep, but she did recognize the sharp ache that seemed to consume her whole body. It took endless minutes to regain her full mental capacity and when she did, a low repetitive noise invaded her head. She thought for a moment it was her own heart, but then as she held her hand to her fraught chest she recognized the beats didn't align.

Scrambling to her feet, she weaved her way towards the noise, limping with muscles that had been stretched too far, too fast.

The slow drum beat ever louder and somewhere underneath the sound, she heard a low screech, straining fibers rubbing against one another in protest. Curiosity was a powerful foe and though her rational self was screaming for her to turn the other way, she couldn't find the courage.

The night had thoroughly fallen while she'd slept, making it almost impossible to discern one shadow from the next. Extending her hands to feel for any obstacle in her path, she moved around trees, the rough barks scratching painfully against the open wounds on her palms.

Feeling all around her, her hands landed on something cold and hard, foreign from everything she'd felt before. Whipping her hands back to her own body, she gasped. Something or someone was standing right in front of her. Stumbling backwards she landed on the ground, twisting her ankle as she called out in agony and frustration.

Tears fell down her dirt smudged cheeks, on her exhausted body and on the ground around her. And then she realized they weren't tears at all. The sky had finally opened once again, and after months of arid dust, the rain pounded the earth with ferocious anger.

Looking up, she searched for just a fragment of the sky and at that very moment lightening twisted down from the lumbering clouds, flashing focus on the land around her for just a portion of a second. It was long enough to have her on her feet in seconds, fumbling to get away from the lifeless eyes of the man hanging above her head. His dark skin had tinged blue with death, but it was the look in his eyes that had her running; the look of absolute terror.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my lovely beta Twiticulate... you rock hun! **

**I'll see you all again on Sunday... that is if you can forgive me for not revealing exactly who was hanging in the shadows... **

**xxx  
><strong>


	16. Hard Rain

The rain soaked easily through her clothes, weighing down her efforts to escape the man who she knew no longer had the ability to follow. She'd only learnt his name a few days prior, but it chanted in her head like the rhythm of his swinging body had echoed through the trees.

Her feet fell in sync with the name looping endlessly through her mind, his eyes permeating through the pain she was enduring to keep herself going. In her mind, Bella was running to keep herself alive. He hadn't chosen that death for himself, she knew as clearly as she knew her own name. Someone had hung him from that tree, and it was more than possible whoever that someone was, was still watching her.

She had little time to really think beyond those thoughts when she heard twigs snapping angrily behind her, announcing an imminent arrival. The feeling of being chased left her already pulsating heart skipping through a cadence of rocketing beats, and though she tried to keep her focus on not running into any trees, she couldn't help but turn, instinct forcing her to find her pursuer.

It was too late, he was already upon her. His inhuman gifts gave him the advantage as he twisted around her body, lifting her from her own feet and she finally let go, succumbing herself to fate as she closed her eyes. Fear replaced all the life in her veins as the world slipped by with a speed that her mind couldn't fathom.

His body felt hard and unforgiving under the cold patter of water which was still falling unabated all around and for a weak moment she sunk down, allowing herself to just be, to just exist in the embrace of the man who she knew would take her life. Bella didn't know her enemy and as the energy that had previously kept her going beyond her boundaries slipped away, she forced her mind to remain focused, to not fade away to black.

She opened her eyes and then closed them almost immediately. The dark reflections of trees were whipping by at an inhuman pace and a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach as the image replayed in her mind, mixed in with those eyes that were now ingrained deep into her soul. She was tired and scared, a combination which didn't serve her any great purpose, her mind still too wild to fully conceptualize anything even remotely resembling a plan to escape.

A strange thought filtered down passed the waves of panic; at least she wasn't alone anymore. The man gripping firmly around her body had a direction and purpose, something she'd lacked since stepping out of the light, so at least she wasn't destined to die wandering around the woods, just as her father had obviously feared. The thought cheered her a little, and with the clarity from experiencing something other than boundless waves of anxiety, she opened her mouth to speak, believing once his feet finally rested, her heart wouldn't be too far behind.

"Please don't kill me." She whispered, the words too low to pick out in the rush of the moment, but he heard them clearly, his hands grasping her just a little firmer in response.

Deciding perhaps he'd reached whatever destination he had in mind, she felt her body slow and then the cold and the rain became something else, something warm and tingly on her tired, torn skin. She didn't dare open her eyes, so when he deposited her gently on the ground, she immediately coiled up into a ball, her arms wrapping her body in a wet, tangled embrace.

"Stop crying." He commanded, growling out between footsteps as he walked away, the creak of floorboards clutching her interest, but not enough to draw her out. Hearing him approach again, she shuddered, hunkering even further into herself. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, that it wasn't her at all, but as the rain continued to fall down her frozen cheeks, she realized she was wrong once again, and he was right.

"Open your eyes." He requested, his voice gruff, but not mean. She was certain that she recognized the tones and undulations, and welcoming the thought of him, Bella opened her eyes to find Paul staring at her, concern bringing a dark look to his deep eyes.

Staring openly at one another, Bella couldn't help her body from lurching back as he moved closer, reality thawing out the memories of the evening. "You asked me to meet you… you asked me to meet you so I could find him." She accused, her voice cracking slightly as she understood finally what everyone had been trying to tell her, that he really was dangerous.

Paul didn't answer. Instead he reached his hand out, his fingers brushing the tears from her rosy cheeks, not even attempting to hide the confusion in his eyes when she pulled back from his touch. Need pushed him on and before she could verbally protest, he was lifting her body clean from the ground, his strength astounding her when she had so little of her own left.

"Shhh." He mumbled low in her ear, rocking her in his arms. A new wave of frustrated tears fell, not from the vision of the swinging man, nor from the tension of the night finally exploding, but from the knowledge that even though he was dangerous, she couldn't stop her body from melting clean into his.

Bella fought against herself, pushing back the calm that he invoked, pushing to feel anything other than the numb acceptance that he brought her peace. "Please… just don't. I can't." She begged, pleading for Paul to share his strength and release her, unable to pull away from him emotionally or physically on her own.

But he wouldn't let go. He couldn't let go until she was no longer oozing fear from her pores, driving him insane with an irrepressible need to protect what was his.

Eventually she stilled in his arms, her fight all but gone from her system as her breaths came with an ever increasing distance between each one. He thought for a moment she was asleep, but when he rose to his feet, intending to lay her down in one of the bedrooms, she rustled in his arms once again, clawing at his skin as the world descended once again.

Catching him unaware, she scampered from his arms, flinging herself across the room with wild eyes, her hands held high, asking silently for a little space.

"Why did you do it? Why did you want me to see him?" She whimpered, before her whole body slumped down against a wall, shivering as her wet clothes pressed down uncomfortably on her skin.

"What do you mean? I didn't want you to see anything." He replied slowly, fighting himself to allow a distance between them, her emotions pouring through him.

"The note, you left me the note asking to meet you… to meet you out on the trail." She half shouted, patience abandoned.

"I didn't leave you anything. I was with Jacob when I felt you going crazy… and what do you mean see him?"

The question and the honesty in his eyes brought on a whole new wave of terror. Not only had she been wandering wildly in the very place where a young girl had been murdered, but it seemed she had been doing so under false pretenses. Not only that, but now she had to relive the moment, to explain to Paul what exactly she'd seen.

Her eyes darted around the room, finally seeing beyond the allure of his proximity to know that she'd been here before, not only that but she'd been here recently. "This is the cabin they brought me to." She mumbled, and when Paul nodded apprehensively to her meek words, she wondered how he knew.

Taking a deep shuddery breath, she dropped her hands, no longer holding him back. Seeing her intention he was all over her in a second, his body wrapping around her, not only offering comfort, but trying to still the instinctually need to fight whatever wrong had been done to her.

"You need to tell me what happened. From the beginning." He stated calmly, finding the balance she brought to his mind a little disconcerting.

"I can't." She mumbled back, her head buried deep where his broad shoulders met his neck, the warmth of him lulling her into a numbed state.

"I need to know what happened." He continued, a little frustrated that he didn't already have the answers; that he couldn't be out there already solving whatever this was.

Too much had happened for her to feel anything akin to her usual passive humiliation at her choices, and so when she managed to align everything that had occurred in such a few hours, she began without even a hint of blush on her cheeks. "Jake told me about the imprint thing, and he told me you were in Sam's pack. He told me not to interfere and I promised I wouldn't…"

Paul interrupted with a deep knowing. "…But you did anyway."

The understanding in his voice gave her confidence to continue, and so she nodded her head into his neck, happy that on some level he wasn't angry for her foolishness. "I came out to see if I could talk to you. I knew if I called you, Jake would know what I'd done, but if I just happened to be around… Anyway, I was down at the beach and someone left a note on my car. It was signed from you, but obviously…" Trailing off once again, Bella couldn't believe she'd acted so recklessly. "…anyway, it said to meet you out at the trail, and so I did. Only you weren't there, so I kept walking, thinking, well, I don't know what I was thinking."

"But who's he? You said I wanted you to see him?" Paul asked, but the conclusions running through his mind had taken him down the wrong path, a very dangerous road to be led down.

"I'll fucking kill him." Paul growled, throwing her aside a little carelessly as he rolled to his feet and began prowling back and forth in the small cabin. "I knew I should have just fucking listened to them, but fuck…" He yelled, before punching a hole clear through from the living room to the kitchen. Dust and wood splintered throughout the room and Bella jolted back into her corner, burying her head as she tried not to let fear overcome her once again.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, seeing what he'd done and the reaction it was invoking from his already fragile imprint. He simply didn't know how to deal with all this, and though everyone had told him the imprint was sacred, he was yet to understand anything on a level that hadn't been manipulated by Sam. They hadn't lied about the balance shit, he thought, but then again he'd pushed her away, pushed himself away and apparently that wasn't what his wolf had in mind when he chose her.

"You need to tell me, right now, what the fuck Sam did to you? Did he touch you?" Paul wanted to balance himself down low, to show her what little threat he actually posed to her, but he knew that his temper was on a knife point and the words she was about to offer might actually send him over the edge and endanger her.

"Sam didn't… I mean, Sam didn't do anything." Just saying the words she was almost certain they weren't true in any strict sense.

"Bullshit. He didn't freak you the fuck out over nothing. I'm not in his pack anymore; you don't need to feel like you're protecting me from him." Paul urged, knowing just how manipulative his former pack leader could be.

"It's not… I mean… it wasn't Sam." Bella paused as tears began to trickle down her cheeks, her breaths coming in loud ugly gulps.

"Who the fuck was it then? You need to tell me."

He was pushing her too hard and too fast, the intensity spilling over into what she'd seen, rushing the memory from her lips before she could find the right way to form the words with the necessary sensitivity.

"It was Jared." She said, and before she could go on, he was shaking, his whole body trembling with a power he obviously could no longer contain.

"I'll fucking kill him, if he laid one finger on you… I'll fucking kill him."

The threat brought new tears and with them his shaking seemed to intensify. Her emotions were simply too much for him to take and while he'd promised himself that no matter what, he wouldn't leave, he knew he was no longer capable of keeping her safe.

Seeing him walk to the door, listening to the threat fall from his lips, she finally whispered what she'd been unable to voice.

"You can't kill him, because he's already dead."

The whole cabin seemed to still, the dust motes froze in the air and the only things left flowing were the tears on her face and the anger and agony filling his veins. The whole moment expanded and as the breath she was holding in her lungs became too much, he turned to her, his eyes heavy with remorse.

"Tell Jacob I'm sorry."

Then he was gone.

The door flapped wildly behind him and as she scrambled to her feet, she didn't have any thoughts beyond her need to follow him, to bring him back from whatever foolish intentions he had. She was barely a foot out in the rain when a howl with such pained intensity brought her to her knees. It was also the catalyst that brought about her new reality; the one where once again she was alone.

* * *

><p><strong>an: A wonderful help to my beta Twiticulate who is simply amazing and puts up with my disorganized self. **

**To all you readers, thank you for the amazing response to the last chapter... you really did bring me a whole bunch of happiness and I know I've been terrible at responding to reviews of late, but I'm barely getting the chaps out to you in time, so I hope you can forgive me! A lot of you seemed to guess it wasn't Paul who wrote the note, but I don't think one person guessed it was Jared... or maybe you just didn't think I could be that cruel...**

**Anyway, I've rambled on enough, I'll see you all again on Wednesday... with love. xxx**


	17. Nightwatch

The door swung violently behind her on its hinges, weather and old age giving it no cause to right itself in any given place. The icy rain was slithering down her already damp skin, but it still took all the courage she could muster to raise herself to her feet, to step back inside and shut herself away, knowing it was the right thing to do.

Alone.

The word seemed to find some aching finality in her mind, the edges rounded out to encompass everything with a dark desperation. Turning around, she pushed her whole body against the door, the click of the latch catching sending reverberations down her spine. She eyed the sanctuary of her dark corner, holding herself back from crossing the short, but exposed expanse of the room and sinking down, hiding almost. Twenty feet had never felt such a distance in all her life and she forced her eyes away.

The rain seemed only to have increased in volume since she'd managed to escape its violence. As she turned to watch the puddles form and maneuver on the dirt outside, she was reminded of how her thin clothes were caked to her body, the heat of her skin creating an uncomfortable balmy sensation as she moved. The cabin was bare, and she doubted she would find anything of use, but it didn't stop her from trying.

Two bedrooms lay beyond the open living room. The first didn't hold anything other than a bed, but the second looked a little more promising, an old walnut wardrobe sitting readily in the corner of the large room. There was very little to choose from within, but she did find a rather large pair of sweats and an old holey grey t-shirt, both of which seemed clean enough. Her skin felt clammy as she peeled off the wet items, but once she was dressed again, she found a little of her normal warmth return, relaxing her as much as clothes ever could. She was just laying out her own clothes to dry over an old claw foot bathtub when Bella heard a sharp crack of wood on wood; loud enough that she jumped and cowered into the darkest shadow behind the door.

It was only when she heard a familiar voice did her heart beat again, the evening wearing all too thoroughly on her frazzled mind frame.

"Bella, it's Jake, come out here please." He called again and when she tried to move she found her whole body resisting. "I'm in here." She squeaked out, hoping Jacob and his sharp senses would be able to hear her over the water pounding in torrents on the thin roof.

"Bells, what're you doing back here? Where's Paul?" Jake asked kindly as he knelt down in front of her, his dark eyes reminding her for a gut twisting moment of the man who had come and gone again all too quickly.

"He said to tell you he's sorry." She said softly, the conversations that had come before flooding her mind.

"What does that mean, Bells?" He persisted, not moving even marginally from his firm position blocking her from seeing anything but his large body.

"I found someone in the woods, Jake, someone hanging from the trees." Bella whispered, and it was so low that even Jacob had to lean in slightly to catch all her words. He didn't push her, but simply reached out to hold her hand, giving her the confidence to continue with his strong presence. "I found a note on my truck asking me to meet them out on one of the trails. I thought it was Paul, but it wasn't. Anyway, I think whoever it was lured me out there so I could find him… so I could find Jared." As she spoke his name for only the second time in her life, she brought her eyes up to Jacob's, seeing the raw emotions filter through one by one.

"You told Paul this?" Jacob asked evenly and she knew immediately that she'd done the wrong thing, that he wasn't stable enough to find out the way he had with her clumsy delivery. Unable to articulate the pain she felt to know she'd failed the man who had come to her rescue, she simply nodded and grimaced, hoping Jake would be able fix what she'd broken so easily.

"Don't worry, Bells, you just sit tight here and I'll be back in a minute, okay? Don't move and don't answer the door to anyone." Unconsciously, she reached out to grab his hand, to stop his departure, but his reaction speeds were still too fast for her to comprehend as he was already stepping towards the door as her hand hung lonely in the air.

It certainly wasn't a minute, and as she felt her eyes flutter closed, fighting with everything she had left to remain awake, she heard the sound of a door opening and closing, deep irate voices flowing towards her lonely ears.

"She's in there." Jacob barked with finality and she twisted her neck upwards looking for the doorway and whoever was about to appear.

Her heart jolted. She'd never expected to see him again so soon, but there he was, taking up the entire doorframe, filling the room with her want and his need. Bella was on her feet in seconds and she didn't care about decorum or hesitation, she flew into his arms.

It took Paul less than a second to return her embrace and though he didn't appreciate being ordered back by the baby Alpha, he also understood that his wolf wanted him here, it was only the man who was hell bent on revenge.

Lifting her from her feet, she fell against him easily, her heart slowing to fluidly meet the rhythm of his own. Brushing past Jacob, who was watching them from the hallway, he strode with purpose into the larger of the two bedrooms, resisting the childish urge to slam the door behind him with a heavy foot.

Laying her down on the bed, he felt her small hands clamp down on his arms, resisting the space that had come between them. He had no intention of leaving her yet, but he would, it was inevitable. He would have to leave her to see through something which purposefully or not, he'd been a part of when it started.

He waited until she was sound asleep, the sight of her almost too much to leave. But then he remembered why they were here, why she was laying under second hand blankets in clothes that fell from her slight frame. He peeled her from his warmth and stood, his footsteps so light that the old, rotten floorboards didn't react under his gargantuan weight.

"She asleep?" Jacob asked as soon as he'd pulled the door silently shut.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he strode eagerly across the floor, not caring for whatever etiquette or respect his new Alpha commanded. "Yeah, she's asleep. So I think now would be a pretty fucking amazing time to tell me why the hell I'm standing here chatting with you, instead of out there bringing down whatever fucking leech did this to him."

Paul couldn't quite bring himself to say Jared's name, but he could feel the rage burning inside him for a friend who had stood with him since his first day in this new fucked up life.

"Leah will be here soon with Embry. When they get here, we'll work out how we're going to protect two imprints and the entire rez, with only three of us against whatever the hell is out there." Jacob stated calmly, sitting down on the arm of a chair which only served to rile Paul into something more irate.

"So we sit around waiting while the leech gets away? No wonder Sam held no respect for you! He might have had his faults, but at least he knew who the enemy was." Paul sneered, but he hadn't made any move to leave yet either.

"Yeah, that's exactly what we're gonna do, and until you and Leah open up and tell me what the fuck happened in that little pack of yours, I'm not gonna say shit on how Sam ran things. I told Leah I would give her the benefit of the doubt to tell me anything I need to know, but my patience is wearing thin. She's my imprint and I'm not gonna push her, but if you know anything about why people keeping showing up dead around here, I'd appreciate it if you told me now." Jacob stood up and squared his shoulders, showing Paul that not only did he stand a few inches taller than the tempestuous wolf, but that he was in control here, whether Paul had fully accepted that or not.

Regardless of choice, Paul couldn't bring his eyes upwards to meet his new Alpha and though he growled low in his throat, he slowed his pacing, choosing to stand tensely at the windows instead. There were plenty of things that his new Alpha should know, but whether he wanted to tell him or not, he could still feel the pressure of a powerful command that pressed down on his wolf, reminding him that freedom was very much a thing of the past.

"You said something about a leech. I need to know what happened after you left to find Bells." Jacob demanded, trying to give his most unruly new pack mate something to keep his mind occupied until the other arrived. He'd secretly hoped that Paul's tie to Bella would have kept him from wanting to do anything precarious or stupid, but he'd underestimated the impact of a pack-mates death. It didn't help that the distance he'd held between himself and his imprint had left the bond hanging, almost unclaimed between them.

"You know what happened, Black, you saw it in my fucking thoughts when you forced me back here." Paul snarled, turning to look at the younger wolf with utter contempt.

"I saw what you wanted me to see. Now I want you to tell me." Jake replied, not the least bit fazed by the challenge.

"Fine." Paul huffed, knowing he hadn't exactly been focused on anything but the chase when Jacob had reeled him in. Even he couldn't remember his thoughts exactly.

"I felt her fear. One minute I was talking with you and the next I couldn't think about anything else. I ran to her, but she was already tearing blindly through the forest, running from something, and the scent of leech, it was all over that fucking place, so fucking sickly and disgusting. I thought for a minute it would get to her before I could, but then I followed her emotions and she was there. I did what you said; I brought her here." Paul finished, forcing the emotion from his tone into something clipped and final as Jacob nodded solemnly.

"Did you recognize the leech? Could it be one of the Cullens?"

Paul shook his head, trying to place the scent with the ones he'd seen in Sam's mind. "I'm not sure. I don't think so, but I've never met them one on one, so maybe." Paul sighed loudly, angrily.

The air between them expanded and as Jacob opened his mouth to speak once again, Paul turned to him, knowing the inevitable question. "Do you think Sam could have done this?"

Paul hesitated, and it was enough for Jacob. He wanted to open his mouth and profess that his former Alpha respected the wolf and the man too much for such an indiscretion, but his words remained trapped behind his gut.

"Man, it's fucking blowing it down out there." Embry blustered loudly from the doorway, his smile and his charm unfitting for the situation. As he turned to find the two imposing wolves staring him down in distaste, he mumbled out an apology, only knowing what he had been ordered to do, but sensing the fragility of the room.

"What the hell's up with you two? And what the hell are you doing here, Paul?" Embry's eyes narrowed as his words stopped, his senses picking up a fifth heart beat in the vicinity. "Is that Bells?" His eyes were just a little too bright for the current tension and Paul was simply far too wound up. His wolf was already at odds with his choices today and so with the higher ranking pack mate, one who held a prior claim on his imprint, calling her name, he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

He had Embry up against the wall by his throat in seconds. Jacob first tried to pull him back with his strength, and then finally assuaging with an Alpha command, he noticed the girl who had been standing behind Embry all along.

"Yeah, this feels familiar." Leah's frown spoke to Jacob alone. As he crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms, he noticed the second imprint standing in the third doorway.

"Good, now that we're all here, I think we need to figure out our next move."

All eyes moved to where Jacob was smiling softly and though both Embry and Paul moved to take her side, Bella rubbed her eyes self-consciously.

"What's going on?" She asked, not objecting in the slightest when Paul began running his fingers across her bare arm, her body moving into his warmth unconsciously.

"I think we all need to sit down." Jacob gestured to the too few seats dotted around the living room. Though she felt a little embarrassed doing so, she nestled on the floor between Paul's legs, his hands broad and strong holding her to him possessively. Once everyone was in place, Jacob stood once again.

"Why don't we start with what you saw tonight, Bells?" Jake asked gently. Numbly, she recanted her night, finding less emotion in the horrors as her mind tried to shut away the accompanying images.

"Paul said he smelt leech on the scene, so we need to check it out. I'm not going to ignore the possibility that someone a little closer to home had a hand in this and that's why we're all here. Leah, Bells, I don't have the manpower to protect both of you and figure this all out. So until we do, you're both staying here." But if Jacob had expected the girls to acquiesce easily, he had another thing coming and both opened their mouths to give him a piece of their mind, loudly.

As the moon hid behind a sky of clouds and a battle raged on behind the storm, two men stood in the shadows watching, waiting for the moment when the immature wolf would slip up, knowing it wouldn't take too long.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate... xxx**

**To all you wonderful readers, I'm going to warn you in advance that there is a possibilty I might not make this Sunday's update. I'm really sorry in advance if this is the case, but I'm so burnt out right now that I can't see anything happening with the next chaps before then. I might be wrong and it might be business as usual, so please don't start sharpening your pitchforks quite yet!**

**Things are going to be B/P centric for the next few chaps, something I know quite a few of you are hankering after, but it does spell a little less darkness and a little more angsty smut, a fair compromise I think? **

**So until next time. xxx  
><strong>


	18. Cabin Fever

Bella had just finished ranting about how Charlie was going to rip her skin from her body and create a more compliant, stuffing filled, replica daughter if she didn't get her ass home soon, when she felt hands pulling her backwards. She wasn't quite sure when she'd risen to her feet, or at what point she'd found herself almost chest to chest with Jacob Black, but as a tint of embarrassment rose to her cheeks, she realized she had everyone's rapt attention.

"Wow, she's a little spit-fire, huh? Leah drawled, but before Bella could whirl around and say something she might regret, Paul pulled her fully against his lithe body. Her words caught in her brain and she found herself standing with her mouth agape, lost in the moment as she tried to move aside her complicity to relocate her anger.

"Everyone just calm down." Jacob ordered, finally discovering an open breath of silence to find himself heard within. He understood that he had the power in this situation, but he was still uncertain of his position as Alpha and also loathed to use it on his friends, especially when he figured reasoning might work just as well.

"I get that it's a fucked up situation, Bells, but what would you have me do? If you're out in Forks, I know I can order Paul to stay away, but what if I do that and whatever killed Jared is after you? After all, it does seem that someone was pretty intent on you finding him tonight." His eyes bore into hers, begging her to see his sense.

"Fine." She huffed, extracting herself from Paul's arms and removing herself from his presence, for in the moment, he felt just as much as part of the Alpha's decision as Jacob did. He didn't seem particularly impressed with her choice to join Embry on the couch, if the low threatening growl filling the room was anything to go by.

"But you have to figure out something to tell Charlie, even if he thinks I ran away to Florida. I just can't stand the idea of him thinking something bad happened to me, especially after I all but told him he was ruining my life for not letting me out of his sight."

The quite probable reality of her father sitting at home, mentally torturing himself, brought on a whole new wave of anguish and guilt. Her emotions were spinning with such ferocity that she felt dizzy, and though she'd only just moved away from him, she looked to Paul with pleading eyes, and while he didn't seem happy to be pandering to her mood swings, he was lifting her, moving her firmly away from his brother and placing her in his lap in seconds.

Paul was far more comfortable on the periphery of things and now that he'd safely ensconced his imprint back into his fold, he almost felt content. The thought was despicable he decided, but instead of pushing the girl away, who he blamed for the numb tingle that spread throughout his emotions, he pulled her closer.

He understood that he'd always been volatile. His whole life had been an education in how to act first and think later. Unmeaning apologies were always prepared on his lips; it was inevitable that someone would take a distaste to his actions, no matter what they may be. But things had still come easy, and he'd learnt from a young age that a carefully constructed smile sent consciously in the right hormonal direction could smooth things over far quicker that anything crass that might come from his mouth.

As much as he rallied against the part of his new life that took away his control, he also reveled in the feeling of family, in the complicit friendship he'd come to believe would stand against any boundaries. But those friendships had all been decimated, and he was now forced to sit in wooded seclusion chosen by his baby Alpha, surrounded by his lackeys. He didn't hold his imprint in the esteem she deserved, but he still welcomed her warm little body, her need for him lending a smile to his face, where none deserved to be.

"Okay, Bells. You write Charlie a letter; tell him whatever the hell you'd like, just don't tell him where you actually are. I'm not stupid enough to think that if there's a leach out there who wants to find us that they won't. But, no-one but us knows about this place, so we should be safe from everyone else." Jacob withheld his belief that Paul had been too distracted at the time to recognize the scent of his former Alpha when he'd come across Bella and that vampires weren't the only thing that may be hunting their way.

While Bella wrote her note, biting down hard on her lip to stop the ever mounting tears from falling, the rest of the pack discussed the next plan of action.

Paul was all about action and couldn't help inserting himself directly in the middle of it, but it wasn't what Jacob wanted. He wanted the newest member of the pack to protect the imprints, something he tried to pass off as the most important job of all, but Paul wasn't to be fooled and so the look of irritation that had slowly begun to grace his face all evening became an all-out sneer.

"You don't even know where the fuck to head. It's not like we have any more time to waste…" He paused, and after a carefully directed, but pointed look at his Alpha, he continued. "…while you kids bumble round the woods for hours on end."

He wasn't sure whether it was the condescension regarding their age that had finally done it, or perhaps the implication that they were incompetent, but the baby Alpha suddenly snapped, the rolls of anger pouring through his body like waves under his skin.

"The last thing I need is taking someone out there and finding that he's not actually on my side after all." Jacob snarled, and as Bella looked up from her black and white lies about how much she longed for the sun and her mother, she wondered what exactly she'd missed. From her position, she could see the combative edge to the room, in particularly Paul, who was smiling a very eerie sort of smile at her best friends.

"So you don't trust me, and instead of keeping me by your side where you can monitor whatever evil plans I've come here to exact, you're going to leave me alone with your imprint?" Paul let out a roll of deep laughter and Bella felt her intrigue pique. She'd never seen Paul's presence as anything other than a positive choice, but Jacob obviously still had his doubts.

"Like you said before, it's not like we have any more time to waste. You won't hurt the girls, because I've seen in your head how you feel about both of them." Jacob raised his eyebrow and she watched Paul's retaliation bluster into an uncharacteristic retreat. "So, now that that's sorted, we'll be back later." Jacob turned his back on Paul and though his wolf was displeased by the weakened stance, Jake knew it was essential to show Paul that he didn't fear him.

His goodbyes were held softly with Leah, words unspoken, but touches and lips promising a quick return. Unlike Paul, he had found his imprint easily, welcomed her and brought pleasure in knowing that when the whole rest of his life was in flux, she would always be his constant.

Jacob was just about to step through the door and fade into the night when he turned around and looked Paul square in the eye. "Oh, and Paul? You will protect Bella and Leah above all else." The threatening timbre of an Alpha command sent a shiver through both girls. Paul meanwhile, just looked a little bored, nodding his head lackadaisically as a show of understanding.

"Seriously Paul, why do you have to be such a fucking dick all the time?" Leah asked, shaking her head as she curled up a little further into the end of the couch, breaking the silence that had filled the room since her wolf's departure.

"Don't know babe, just comes naturally I guess." Paul winked at her and as Bella tried to pretend she was enthralled with the words spelled out in her own hand, she was actually monitoring the exchange with an ugly fascination. Her gut rolled unpleasantly when she lifted her head and found neither paying her much attention, too caught up with their conversation to pay her any mind.

Her exchanges with Paul had always really been limited to one on one's, filled more with touching hands than spoken words. Trapped in this little world where Paul and Leah obviously had something in the way of a relationship, she felt jealous and alone.

"So you think that wolf of yours is going to find shit out there in the rain?" Paul jeered, looking for someone to bite back and fill his boredom. What he wanted to do most was sneak off with his little imprint, lock the door and tell Leah to entertain herself for a couple hours, but Jacob had put a stop to that with his Alpha order. The thought had briefly crossed his mind of asking Leah to join them, but it had been accompanied by a knock-out punch of possessive jealousy and he tossed the idea aside. He'd never had a problem with sharing in the past, but this girl was different. He wanted to be the only one who made her make those little throaty moans when he kissed her. He wanted to be the only one who brought that fiery look of absolute need to her eye, and he wanted more than anything to be the first and only name on her lips when she came.

Just thinking about her writhing underneath him was making him want her to the point of incomprehension and though Leah was looking from his eyes, down to the huge fucking erection he was sporting in his jeans with a knowing smirk, he ignored her and closed his eyes. Thinking of the baby Alpha and his gangly side-kick brought his thoughts back to something more child friendly and manageable, so when he opened his eyes again and found both girls looking at him, one with hard understanding and the other with a sweet, naïve incomprehension, he stood, stalking to the fridge in search of something to eat.

He still had a perfect view of the living room, and as he threw a bowl of stale, dry cereal in a bowl, he crunched away as he watched the two girls interact, actually caring to observe them for the first time.

"So you're Jake's imprint?" Bella asked hesitantly. She'd finally folded her letter neatly into her pocket, ready for whenever Jake returned, and now she'd found herself with absolutely nothing to do.

"And you're Paul's. I gotta say, chica, I'm fairly certain I got the bigger slice of pie on this occasion." Leah smiled quite genuinely, but Bella was too concerned with trying to decide if Leah's words were as obviously a double entendre as they seemed.

"Oh cheer up, babe, I was only kidding. I just meant you get to deal with all Paul's shitty moods, while I get to play with the gentle giant."

Bella still wasn't happy with Leah's choice of words and instead of keeping silent, as she normally would, she found herself rearing to Jacob's defense. "You don't need to talk about him that way, you know? He's not some little kid for you to manipulate."

Bella watched as Leah looked her over; clearly assessing the level of threat she posed. Meanwhile Paul was smiling softly to himself, proud of his little imprint for possessing more spirit than he'd expected, even if she was stepping right into Leah's trap.

"Oh hon, I think he quite likes it when I manipulate him." Leah winked and Bella huffed, and for a few minutes they reached an impasse with their burgeoning friendship as silence blossomed.

"So, you and Paul huh? How're you finding that?" Leah tried to offer something a little softer in her voice, well aware that they weren't getting out of here anytime soon. As much as she might have some immediate fun messing with Bella's head; it wasn't productive in the long run.

Bella snuck a look into the kitchen where Paul was still smiling to himself. She took his gesture as something arrogant and instead of keeping her mouth shut and simply offering a few pleasantries, she opened her mouth to find a whole slew of honesty coming out. "I don't think there's really a _that_ to find anything about. I mean, he shows up sporadically, manages to fuck with my mind for a little while, and then leaves again. So yeah, _that's_ going great." Bella's final throw of sarcasm fell heavy on the room and though Leah was nodding her head and grinning, she couldn't bring herself to look at Paul.

"So how're things with Jake? I mean, it's got to be strange being with someone so nice after Sam." Bella felt bold in her question and when Leah's smile dripped from her lips, she felt a thrill of accomplishment. Until of course, her eyes looked like they were gathering tears, and then because Bella Swan didn't really have a mean bone in her body, she was awash with guilt.

"God, I'm sorry Leah, I didn't mean to be such a bitch. I just… you just… I'm sorry, okay?" Bella moved to sit on the other end of the couch, propped on the edge of the cushions awaiting the tears that were already poised to fall.

"It's okay. I deserved it. You're right anyway, the Sam you saw was a complete bastard, but he wasn't always that way, Bells. You don't mind if I call you that do you? I mean, Jake talks about you all the time and anyway, I hope you don't mind." Leah was flustered and as she tried to wipe away the tears before they could actually fall, Bella understood that was because she was so desperate not to cry in front of her.

"It's fine. You can call me Bells." She said simply, hoping secretly this was the beginning of something in the way of an olive branch from the older, harder girl. "We got off to a bad start, but it doesn't mean it has to stay bad." Bella added sentimentally.

"Okay, enough of the girly bonding shit, it's bedtime. So unless you girls are looking forward to riding the couch, I suggest you pick a bedroom…" Paul paused until he had all the attention in the room. "…to share. After all, Alpha said I have to make sure nothing happens to either of you, and I can't do that if you're in different beds, now can I?"

Paul seemed very pleased with himself, and though he'd been mulling over his imprint's words about their lack of a relationship, he also couldn't resist the looks of distaste on either of their faces. The might have reached a mature understanding, but he also knew from Leah's hard façade that they were also nowhere near friends. Bella was already nodding away, turning to the larger of the two rooms, no doubt the bond between them demanding she respect his dilemma, but Leah was standing defiantly, her arms crossed tautly over her chest.

"No fucking way am I sharing a room with you two. I know exactly what's going through your head, fucker, and it's not going to happen."

A montage of possibly scenarios went through his mind, but the one he valued the most was the one where Leah wasn't actually in the room at all. He doubted she would believe him though.

"Have you seen the bed, Lee? It's hardly gonna be big enough for you two, let alone three of us." He enjoyed the look on her face when she actually looked in the dank little room, and was forced to accept that her hissy fit had been unnecessary. "I'm gonna take the chair."

Luckily, there was quite a big, deep armchair in the corner of the room and with a little maneuvering; he had already decided that with one of the side tables from the living room, it wouldn't be too bad for the night. Not that he was going to be doing any sleeping.

With nothing to change into, the girls were ready for bed in no time. Paul sat quietly in the corner of the room, listening intently to the sound of his imprint's breathing, hearing the other girl only as background noise.

To his surprise, she was asleep in no time, and as he pulled back to figure if it was the same for Leah, he noticed she was lying on her back, staring widely at the ceiling. Taking his chance, he spoke so quietly that Leah almost didn't hear him.

"Jake wants to know what happened with Sam. He's wants me to tell him what happened over the summer."

He wanted to curse Leah when she sat up in the bed, her movements making the mattress creak and his imprint sigh in her sleep.

"What did you tell him?" She hissed, her eyes wild as they fluttered distractedly all over the room.

"Nothing. Whether I wanted to or not, whatever command Sam threw at me is stronger than anything Jake's got right now. Doesn't mean it will be for long though, and when he figures that out and makes me spill my fucking guts, you think he's gonna keep either of us in his pack?" Paul's eyes were an intense pool of black in the already dark room, and Leah couldn't help the little shudder of fear than ran from the tip of her toes all the way to the very top of her spine. Her happiness was only ever destined to be short lived, she'd already come to terms with that, but just the thought of losing Jacob, losing the security and the love he gave so willingly brought tears to her eyes. And it was all because of something stupid, something avoidable, something they'd all done, but only she had started.

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><p><strong>an: A big wonderful pina colada filled thank you to my lovely beta Twiticulate... **

**I'm sorry for the slight delay folks, but we're back on track now and I'm hoping we should be good with Wednesdays and Sundays through til the end. Thanks for your patience. See you all again on Sunday. xxx**


	19. Funny Games

It didn't take long for boredom to sink in, and after three full days and nights of being kept under lock and key, Bella felt like she'd swapped one prison for another and was, rightly, about to explode. It didn't pass her appraisal that her every move was watched, her every action analyzed and worst of all, she concluded, even when she was lucky enough to find a moment's solace, she knew they were all still monitoring her from afar.

"Are you okay in here, Bells? Paul said you'd been pretty miserable all day." Jake mused from the doorway of the smaller bedroom, his whole body draped lazily in the doorframe, concern marked all over his heavy features.

"I did no such fucking thing, dude. Just 'cause you read it in my mind, doesn't mean I offered the information willingly." Bella almost smiled brazenly when he knocked Jacob out of the doorway and moved to sit on the end of the bed, a plate of toast, which for a foolish moment she thought was for her, gripped in his right hand.

"It don't matter how much you look at me like that, babe, there's nothing you can say that's gonna make me part with my food." Bella liked a challenge and as she mulled over the ideas which had skipped dangerously to the forefront of her mind, she barely noticed the body still lingering in the doorway.

Jacob huffed loudly once, but when he noticed that neither Bella nor Paul were paying him any mind whatsoever, he walked away with his shoulders slunk down low. This whole thing had been his doing, a firm choice to protect the girls above all else, above their sanity, Bella's education and most of all, their opinion of him. But his choice was becoming less clear, due in part to being mentally assaulted by sledgehammers every time he phased with Paul, and just this morning he'd heard a hint of uncertainty in Embry's mind.

Embry's wavering had been the last straw, and after a lot of hard thinking, he'd made a choice to give everyone a break, something he was now questioning too. He went in search of Leah, knowing whether she thought he'd done the right thing or not, she would put his mind at ease.

Time alone had been so obsolete for the imprinted couples that the thought of spending a whole night together, one where Embry and only Embry would be patrolling had finally lifted the whole atmosphere of the cabin. Bella had only just heard the news from Paul and already, he could feel the weight that had been pressing down on his emotions lift, as a tentative smile escaped from her lips.

"So, just Embry?" She confirmed, though he'd been more than clear on the subject. He ignored what he'd heard and simply answered the question he figured she was too afraid to vocalize. "Yup, it's just gonna be you and me." A big easy grin lifted his lips high, showing a flash of beautiful white teeth.

Bella smiled back, but she couldn't help the anxiety that she felt building in her bones, knowing what Paul would probably expect from her. It wasn't only her individual actions that she'd felt had been dissected, but those of her and Paul together too. So even though she was nervous, she was also ridiculously excited to just close the door behind them and see what would come of the night.

"Hey you two, what do you say we flip a coin for the big room tonight?" Leah asked, a brazen smirk allowing no naïve misinterpretations of her intentions for the evening.

"Cool." Paul said lazily, turning only his head to the doorway.

"Actually, I don't mind being in here, Leah. If you want the big room, go right ahead." Bella gnawed gently on her lip as Leah looked at Paul apologetically. "Cool, thanks Bells… Sorry man." She uttered her words to Paul with little conviction, before turning to skip from the doorway.

"You're gonna regret that later, you know? Do you have any idea how small this bed actually is? Or how big I am?" Paul finished his questions so quietly she almost didn't hear the last one, but it _had_ reached her ears and so she took it on with no hint of the amusement she felt in her voice.

"I know exactly how big the bed is and I fit in it just fine, thank you very much!" She couldn't help raising one eyebrow, but he didn't need the gesture to take the bait.

"Hmm… well, I think we might need some trial runs to see just where you'll get the best sleep then."

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he had snuck his arms underneath her body and lifted her, maneuvering his own vast frame so quickly that she didn't see him position himself underneath her.

"I think I like you on top. What do you think?" His eyes were full of boyish innocence and Bella couldn't suppress the little judder of laughter that slipped from her tongue.

"Well if we do this any other way, you'll probably end up squashing me!" She retorted, inexperience hampering her foresight to see that she was heading down a mile wide rabbit hole.

"Isabella, I can assure you, we can do a lot of things, in many different positions, without me squashing you." His eyes had darkened quite dramatically, and the easy banter which had graced Bella's lips, succumbed to something far less innocent drawling from Paul's.

Bella didn't even have time to open her mouth and respond before he'd flipped them over, his long muscular body held over hers, ready to pounce. Her heart flipped and bounced, obviously leaving no room for her lungs, as suddenly, she found her breath caught in her throat.

"Isabella?" He rounded out each syllable, tracing his tongue over the word like honey and sex.

"Paul." She stuttered, her hand coming up to his chest. What had been a gesture to show him her reluctance lost its clear message, as the tension from her fingers oozed into his skin. The feel of his muscles was so alluring that she didn't even realize she was all but feeling him up in the middle of the day.

It didn't matter though, whether she understood it or not, she was his imprint and he could feel her need for him, matching the intensity of his own for her. Without her consent, he lowered his body, the sinews in his forearms twisting as he roughly kissed her, letting her feel the power of his body above her, but physically touching her with nothing more than his lips.

"Paul….Paul…" She muffled, pushing him away slightly. A loud wolf whistle from the kitchen had penetrated her oblivion and though she was struggling with the notion of putting any distance between them, she was also fairly uncomfortable with public displays, especially because Paul's body had inched its way lower and was now positioned deliciously between her legs.

"Hmm?" He asked, but he'd only moved his lips slightly, running them down to her neck and to a little spot which he knew would drive her wild.

"Please? I need to breathe." It was a cheap shot and she knew that he would respond. Just as she'd expected, he was already pulling himself away, grumbling and scowling as he did.

"Later then?" He asked gruffly, taking in the way she was now nervously gathering the bedspread in large clumps between her fingers.

"Umm, I'm not sure… it's just…"

Thinking on his feet, Paul decided maybe all she needed was a little push in the right direction. Perhaps he could prove something to himself in the process, something which had been building over the past few days.

"How about I make it a little more interesting?" He asked, and her head popped up immediately, eyes wide with bright curiosity.

"How?" She asked succinctly and though it was probably pointless, he stood quickly and shut the door, giving them the illusion of privacy if nothing else.

"I heard Jake say he's taking Leah out later, not far, just out to the cliffs. When they're gone I'll give you something that I think you want?"

Bella mulled over what he was saying, and in any other circumstance she would probably have begged to be let out of this prison too, but he'd already piqued her interest in another direction. "What do you think I want?"

A brief triumphant smile graced his lips as reached out for her hands, running his fingers languidly from her palm down to her wrist, moving on to her elbow and back.

"You want to know more about me. I know you have a million and one questions running through that overactive brain of yours. So I was thinking you could ask me whatever you want, about me, Sam, the pack, anything. As long as I can answer the question, I will."

His words were very tempting, but there were one or two glaringly obvious things he'd omitted. "Firstly, what do you mean, if you 'can answer the question'? And secondly, what do you want in return?" She watched him closely, as he seemed to be really enjoying the prospect of whatever he had planned.

"Some things have Alpha orders on them. If I can break them for you, I will, if not..." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and she thought that it was actually quite a fair deal.

"And secondly?" She prodded, knowing he'd withheld his answer to the final question on purpose.

"For every question I answer, you let me touch you, and for every time I answer, the time doubles for the next question." Paul brought her wrist to his lips, and kissed it gently, then without warning, when he decided she was taking too long to decide, he nipped her quickly, leaving a little red mark on her skin.

"You bit me!" She said incredulously, rubbing the little mark, though it had only hurt for a fraction of a second.

"You're thinking too much." He replied unapologetically, as if it was perfectly acceptable to go around biting people. Then she caught a flash of their first encounter and remembered the taste of iron, and immediately one of the questions she longed to ask him formed in her mind.

"So I ask you a question and then you get to touch me, for what two seconds? Then after the next question it would be four?" She asked, already aware that she was bargaining the time and not the premise.

"No, more like thirty and then a minute, then so on." He threw out with a little pseudo contempt, just for show.

Bella was already shaking her head though, and she knew with her inability to think straight when he was anywhere near, the chance of her making it through two questions with her virtue intact was slim to none.

"No way. Five seconds and that's my final offer." She folded her arms firmly across her chest, showing him she meant business this time and even though she didn't realize it, she'd actually agreed to what he'd wanted all along.

After letting her think he was truly contemplating her offer, he thrust his hand forward for her to shake. "Deal?"

"Deal." Bella said with a confident nod of her head.

Paul didn't linger for long and only a few moments later wandered off to think of the many ways in which he was going to build her up, only to bring her down again, all with the intent of hearing her begging him for more. Meanwhile Bella was left running through everything that had happened in the past month or so, questions pouring rapidly in an unending flow. What she needed to figure out though was exactly what she _needed_ answered, rather than simply _wanted_, and how long she could hold out once Paul had her battling for her sanity.

She was on edge all afternoon. Each rumble of laughter that trickled in from the rest of the cabin made her jump, and the sound of bodies creaking on the old wooden floorboards made her heart beat spiral. So by the time Embry called out that he would be back in the morning, and for them all not to do anything he wouldn't, she was standing at the window, watching him leave with her lip feeling tender from the amount of gnawing it had endured all afternoon.

"You don't need to freak out, you know. We don't have to play if you're too scared." His presence behind her was so strong that she couldn't help leaning back into him, the mental relief he provided so influential that she closed her eyes for a moment of bliss.

"I'm fine." Allowing the lie to linger between them, Paul brushed her hair aside, burrowing his face into her neck. She knew that he was giving her a chance to walk away, dignity intact. But the thing she could barely admit to herself was that he'd drawn her in, promised her the thing she desired the most, but she wasn't quite sure anymore whether that was answers to her many questions.

"Hey guys, we're heading out for a few hours." Jacob spoke carefully from the doorway, Leah clinging to his side with bright eyes.

"Paul, I don't need to remind you to keep your guard up." A ruffle of tension flashed through the room and Bella couldn't deny the feel of Paul's body as it gained a new rigidity.

When Jacob was welcomed with silence, he stalked angrily to the door, his mind distracted from what should be a peaceful time with his imprint, by the sullen and obtrusive attitude of Sam's old pack-mate.

Quite aware of the fractious relationship between himself and his Alpha, Paul didn't feel anything other than pleasure to rile Jacob Black.

"So, have you been thinking about your first question?" Paul asked, his voice muffled into her neck.

Steeling her nerves, Bella stepped away from him, moving the few feet forward to draw the thin curtains. Not saying a word, she stepped around him, moving quickly to the doorway, closing it firmly and then, even though she knew it was fairly pointless, locking it for good measure.

Paul was watching her every move, holding back the smile that he knew would only serve to make her more anxious. He watched as she pressed her whole body back against the door, looking to the curtained window, quite blatantly thinking something over very seriously.

She was still looking away from him when she spoke, her words carefully balanced to hide her emotion from him.

"Do you know who killed Emily Young?"

Paul knew she would ask, knew it was one of the questions he was going to find difficult because he wasn't sure what the answer would provoke in her. Regardless, he had been aware of the risks when he'd concocted this fucked up game, so he pushed the question through his mind, looking for the familiar pull which still lingered from Sam's power. But it had either faded with time, or the question required so little of the truth that he was not bound by the command.

"Yes, I do." He replied, searching her deep brown eyes for any reaction. He could see the thoughts running so fast through her mind, and he knew immediately that she had expected him to say no, that the question had been to cure her own curiosity rather than prove a suspicion. Deciding to press on, he stepped forward, ignoring the little flicker of apprehension in her body as he broke the distance between them by stepping confidently through the small space.

She had expected him to push aggressively, to throw her passionately against the door, or rip her clothes from her body. But his fingers were slow, painfully slow. And as she counted down the five seconds in her mind, she watched him languidly caress open the buttons on the plaid shirt she'd been wearing.

The air felt refreshing on her blazing skin and she welcomed the cool space Paul offered as he took a step back, admiring the contours of her body under her thin white camisole.

Bella mentally stumbled. The questions that she'd spent all afternoon articulating in her mind were looking more and more flimsy. She didn't know whether she should pursue something further regarding the circumstances of Emily's death. She'd thought her previous question would have resulted in a blatant 'no', something she had told herself she needed to ask, and nothing more.

"There's no point in you asking; I don't know why I could tell you that, but everything else about that time is bound by Sam's command." Bella couldn't tell if he was lying or not, but she did manage to feel a little twinge of relief to find her dilemma solved, something that later she would understand to be utterly deplorable.

"Did anything ever happen between you and Leah?" Bella lowered her eyes, slightly ashamed by the line her questions had taken, especially as her mind was now being bombarded with images of Emily, a girl she'd never actually known in life.

Bella didn't like the way Paul took another step back, sitting back on the edge of the bed frame.

"We grew up together, me, her and Jared. She was my first." Paul offered evenly, watching her once again.

"Your first…? As in…?" Bella wasn't sure she wanted to play this game anymore. Everything she'd thought would come from this, the feeling of being assured, being safe in what this whole imprint thing meant for the both of them, was slowly slipping away.

"Yeah, as in the first girl I fucked."

Bella took a deep shuddery breath and Paul wanted to go to her, to fix what he'd started, but she was still looking at the floor and he couldn't bring himself to apologize for something that had happened when he was fourteen, before he even knew she existed.

It took everything Bella had not to just fall in a heap on the floor, to not crumble into a pile of jealous bones. But she pushed back her shoulders, knowing that the question had been foolish, and now she had to waste another to find out what she really needed to know.

"Ten… Nine..." It took two seconds to realize her intention as she confidently counted down, only the caution in her eyes betraying that she was holding something far less controlled within. Paul didn't stop to discuss her feelings, to questions whether she was sure once again.

He was just as careful with her as he had been the first time, and as she forced her mind to think of nothing but the descending numbers and the surety of his fingers, she watched as he tugged her jeans to the floor.

The clear air didn't feel so good this time, and as she reached zero in her mind, she opened her mouth and whispered out the question she should have asked all along.

"Do you still have feelings for her?"

Paul didn't step back this time and the inches that rested between them left her scrabbling for focus.

"I never did really. She's been a friend for a very long time, but that's all." He didn't comment on how pointless he thought her question actually was, instead he raised his hand and gently tugged down the thin strap on her camisole, followed by the other.

Twenty seconds had never seemed so long, and so difficult to count. And when the time was done, though he had barely touched her skin to skin, she was breathless and bare, standing in only her blue lace bra and panties.

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><p><strong>an: As always a big thank you to my beta Twiticulate who rocks. I'll see you all again on Wednesday. x **


	20. The Abyss

Paul's eyes roamed lasciviously from the narrow fragility of her bare ankles, all the way up to the infinite depths of her chocolate brown eyes. The emotions pouring from her were driving him wild with need, with fear, with quiet desperation. He could see the little shiver running all over her body, and knew that it was something she was probably trying to suppress, pushing forward a bravado that fell apart under close scrutiny.

They were standing in silence, the light fading from the room making her porcelain skin stand out, while his darkness began to shift into the shadows. She watched him as he stepped over to the bed, still not uttering a word as he turned on one of the dusty bedside lights, bringing a synthetic yellow glow to the room, the distance between them offering her mind a little reprieve.

"Tell me what you think about imprinting?"

Paul kept his back to her, giving himself just a moment to compose himself into something unreadable, knowing she would likely analyze this moment to death. He didn't let out the sigh that was psychosomatically building in his chest, nor did he slump down to the bed, physically displaying how he felt about this very question.

"I think that I don't know you and that makes the whole thing pretty fucking weird, don't you?"

Mulling over his words, she tried not to let her insecurities show, but standing in front of a man who made your head spin while standing half naked in a cabin, it was something easier said than done. "You should ask Leah about this, she has some pretty interesting theories you know." Bella felt a brief twinge of embarrassment to hear the older girl's name fill the room, but pushed past it to concentrate on the actual words.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, hoping he wouldn't push the game and make her wait.

Sitting down again at the end of the bed, he lifted his hand, gesturing for her to go to him. She thought he would force her to lend her body to his pursuits again and then ask the question with a more muddled mind; but he didn't. He simply held her at arm's length, running his fingers down her goose-bump adorned arms.

"I didn't get it, I still don't really. I mean, from what I know about you, you're not exactly forceful." A hesitant smile broke through and he tried to find subtle words to describe the differences in their characters. "And well… I am. I thought if I needed something to balance me, it would be someone who would fight me, push against my barriers… someone more like Leah."

Bella wanted to take herself away to a dark room, to mull over what he was saying with clarity, but she didn't have that chance. Instead she had to try and push aside the feel of her fingers on her body, but it was becoming increasingly impossible. She'd never actually considered the imprint from his point of view and now it seemed very relevant all of a sudden.

"But she thinks that what I actually need is the opposite. Someone I have to be careful with, someone who won't take my shit and give me twice as much in return. Someone who needs to be protected and makes me think before I act."

He was done with words, done with talking about Leah and how he felt, and though she was in the middle of attempting to contemplate the endless possibilities, he still tugged her towards him without a care. He had expected the room to be filled with tension, but more of the sexual variety rather than the emotional.

It took about five seconds for her mental musings to officially turn to mush, the feel of his fingers on her skin too insistent to ignore. It was hard to count the seconds as he ran his hands over her bare stomach, keeping carefully between two poles and bringing her heart to a thumping beat with something that was fairly innocuous as far as his previous touches went.

When the numbers ran out and he'd only touched her in the most innocent of places, she stepped back from him with a look of uncertainty, before opening her mouth to speak again. Having already fallen down the trap of asking questions that were emotionally valuable rather than necessary, it was hard to stop now when the torrents were already engulfing her strides.

"How did you stay away from me?"

Bella had heard from Jacob when he'd spoken about imprinting, albeit before he'd actually experienced it for himself, that it was something hard to ignore, that the calling of your soul would draw you to that person even in the depths of your subconscious. It was hard to imagine Paul with such a weakness, but if it was true, he had kept his distance very well and seemingly quite easily.

"Sam only knew what he'd seen in the wolves from the old pack, and it was pretty fucking rare. We're talking two guys maybe out of twenty. Maybe we're all fucked up these days, maybe that's why we can't keep it together and need someone to stop us from going insane… Jared was different, Embry too I guess. Both of them seem to enjoy all this, to actually get a kick out of it. It makes sense that they don't need anyone else." He stopped for a moment, staring at her skin and she figured maybe it was Jared he was thinking about, something she wanted to ask him about, but wasn't sure if she actually had the courage.

"I was around more than you knew. I watched you at school, the Cullen's knew, maybe that's why they started showing an interest in you. I watched you at home too, but the Chief did me a favor when he forced you to stay home all the time; all I had to do was run a few miles out of my way, check you were still sitting in your room, listening to that bullshit music and it was all good. Fuck knows what I'd have done if you had a life."

He hadn't meant to be derogatory, or mean, but the honest jolt of his words still hurt none the less. It took all she had not to open her mouth and offer a plethora of reasons why her own company was preferable to that of others. Instead she dug her nails into the palms of her hands and stared rather blankly at his chest, hoping he was done.

Every swell of her emotions came his way, compounded by her proximity and the way her shoulders had risen, hiding her pain behind a feigned strength. He admired her, just for a moment, because although she was soft and sweet, innocence rolled into a fragile package, she was sometimes a contradiction to herself. It made him crave her and as he pulled her to him again, he knew that as the time gaps grew and her barriers fell, she would fall at his feet, each and every part of her.

She watched, enraptured, as he slid his wide hands across her stomach once again, but this time he strayed upwards with a hungered need, nothing tentative in his approach. Brushing his fingers over the soft, thin lace of her bra, she prepared herself, mentally berating herself for losing seconds as he lightly tugged the fabric down.

Only the tips of his fingers touched the sensitive peak of her nipple and as tingles of fire left a map of his touch on her skin, she lost a little strength in her knees.

He wanted to pull her to him, to rip the rest of the pointless material from her body and just stare at her, but he wanted her to want this, to crave his touch, his taste, his potential to drive her wild.

Tugging down the blue lace just a little further, he used his free hand to unclasp her bra, holding the fabric to her skin until the last moment.

He knew when his time was done as she raised her eyes to his, the focus in them lost for a moment as she forced herself to pull back from his spell. And just as she did, just as she steeled herself to her body's reactions, he pulled away, and the thin barrier fall away from her, slipping to the floor with a light thud.

Bella's hands went immediately to cover her bare breasts, and when he looked amusedly upon her attempt to hide herself from him, she stopped her hands in midair. He was stronger than her, more resolute too, and so she didn't even put up the pretense that she knew would crumble in moments.

"Why did you leave Sam's pack?" It was one of her more thought induced questions and as she released it, she found Paul looking at her almost quizzically.

It took a few slow moments for him to respond, and as he stood, his hands reaching out to wrap around the base of her spine, so low that she could feel him through the lace of her panties, she opened her mouth to chastise him.

"I left for you." He whispered in her ear, his breath sending sparks flying where it fluttered over her skin. Mentally she tried to keep her attention on the countdown, as his hands pushed down the edge of her panties. A rush of sweet blood filled her cheeks when she realized he intended for her to be completely exposed, while he stood in more clothes than he wore on a regular Tuesday.

She hadn't really thought of herself as an active participant in these moments before, but as he nibbled and sucked his way down her skin, from the lobe of her ear to the roll of her shoulder, she pushed her fingers under the hem of his light cotton t-shirt.

His muscles rippled back and forth under her touch and though it was hard to think of anything beyond the feel of him, she tried to keep a piece of herself attached to the numbers rolling backwards. It was almost impossible, as she lost count for the third time in only ten seconds. The small increments had been easy, but at that time her blood hadn't been flowing like a mess of angry rapids, and her breaths had been coming in steady sensible pulls, not in the ragged shallow excuses they were now.

His hands felt heavy on her skin and as he pushed down her panties and gripped her ass firmly, her eyes fluttered shut, acknowledging the influence he possessed.

She forced herself to gather some semblance of control, if only for one more shot in the dark. And as he lowered his head, sucked her nipple into his mouth and bit down hard, regardless of how long it had been, she felt what she knew would be her last question pouring from her lips without any censor.

"Am I the only one?"

It had a worry that troubled her all day, but she'd told herself that she was strong enough not to ask. However, in the moment, it seemed her subconscious had proved to be stronger and more mindful than she expected, and as he pulled back, his eyes were darker and more intoxicating than she'd ever seen them before.

"Isabella Swan…" He began, as he stalked her backwards, the edge of the bed hitting the back of her knees forcefully, forcing her body down before him.

"You're what I dream about when I sleep." He stated, lifting his shirt over his head and discarding it easily as he kneeled between her knees, pushing them open to accommodate the size of his body.

"You're what I jack off to in the shower when I wake up." He growled, the rise of his lips letting her know he was still himself, still capable of being crude and arrogant, and worst of all, knowing she would berate him, blush tirelessly, but ultimately endure it.

"You're what I breathe," He added, his fingers wrapping around her neck firmly, gripping for just a moment before he moved them south, touching every rise of her skin with a harsh reverence. They moved slowly down past her breasts to her stomach, feather light swipes of flesh as he memorized her thoroughly for the first time. He could already feel how much she wanted him, how much she wanted this. But as he pressed his fingers lower, pushing her legs further apart with his other hand, he brushed over her, confirming just how wet she was for him.

Her desire was too much and though he'd planned to go slow, he all but ripped away the last vestiges of his clothes.

His breath was coming harder and faster, the numbers in her mind swallowed by the sight of him before her. The width of his shoulders, the ripple of his russet muscles, the pure sweltering heat of him that enveloped her in a deliciously warm haze. It was all a little too much, and when he dipped down low, pressing the length of his body against hers for the first time, she gasped.

He'd proven time and again that he was ruled by his instincts, and as she felt the tip of him poised at her entrance, she was too lost in the feel of him to wonder whether this was all happening too fast. Because of her, he managed to hold back slightly, to not just pound into her. Because of her, he took her as slowly as he could, resisting the animal inside who begged him to turn her over, to slam eagerly into her hips, making her beg for less, and then more.

But he couldn't hold himself back for long, and when he saw the pain of being her first wash away, he began to move again. The feeling of him, the gut pleasing warmth of being filled by him turned out to be pleasant, but there were no fireworks, no climactic rise and no end filled with blissful pleasure.

Paul knew as she gripped her little thighs around his hips, urging him forward, that it was almost impossible for him please her, not when he needed her so much. But as he let go, let everything ebb away and finally embraced what she was and would be for him, he nuzzled her neck, making promises he silently swore to keep, answering her at last.

"You're the only one I want."

"You're the only one I'll ever want… because you're the only one I can't live without."

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta, Twiticulate... I think it's important to note that I made a lot of last minute changes in this chapter and so any errors you find (as is always the case anyway) are mine, and mine alone. **

**I've spent the last fifteen minutes going back and forth over whether I should put some justification here for my choices in this chapter, but I've decided against it at last. I will say that this was actually very difficult to write and so if you can't understand why I've taken this route, please let me know and I'll be happy to discuss this with you in depth.  
><strong>

** xxx**


	21. Let The Right One In

Bella woke in the morning to a strange aching sensation deep within her body, and a headache that wouldn't seem to go away. The night before felt like a fog in her memories, something she'd participated in, but not understood on a truly conscious level. It scared her a little, and though she'd slept heavily at times, Paul had kept some part of himself wrapped possessively around her no matter how much she'd tossed and turned.

He'd left with the arrival of the sun, kissing her hard and long before walking naked into the day, his impenetrable confidence keeping her eyes on him to the very last second. But it had taken hours of staring at the ceiling, listening to the world around her wake so effortlessly, to finally drag her bare body into the cool day.

When she emerged into the living room, dressed and uncertain, it was to find Leah reading, tucked up in the corner of the larger couch.

"Hey… Is Embry around?" Bella asked, finding no trace of him from her position in the doorway. It felt strange not to feel eyes tracking her every move as she made her way across the room. Just when she thought they were alone, Leah pointed to the floor by her feet and following her silent lead, Bella padded closer, peering over the edge of the sofa to find what she figured must be Embry curled up in a tight ball of fur, looking like a humungous lapdog.

"It was either that or he was gonna make us lie in bed with him." Leah grinned as she muffled her words, but Bella didn't think he was going to be of much use to them either way if she was honest.

"Where's Jake?" She asked in a loud whisper, grabbing an apple from the counter in the kitchen and then mirroring Leah in the opposing corner of the couch.

"He had some stuff he needed to discuss with the council. I think mostly about keeping us here. I guess when he cleared it all with Billy, he'd made out like he'd have it all figured out in a day, but… well yeah!" Leah smiled wryly, in some ways acknowledging Jacob's failure.

Bella bit a chunk out of her apple, and chewed, realizing she hadn't really thought about the implications of Jared's death outside of their little bubble in the woods. More and more she was forced to admit that her actions and thoughts were so locked up in Paul that she was barely capable of anything that wasn't self-motivated or utterly self-involved.

"So did you guys have fun last night?" Leah asked and Bella quickly took another bite of her apple, figuring out how much she really wanted to say under the guise of enjoying her breakfast snack.

"Umm… yeah, it was good." Bella smiled lightly through her words, hoping that Leah would drop it and move on. "What about you guys? Did you?" She quickly threw out, figuring distractions probably worked better than her usual appalling acting skills.

"Yeah we did, we had a great time… so what did Paul do this time?" Leah raised her eyebrow and Bella looked down to her apple in disappointment. Unless she felt like working through the bitter edges of the core, it wasn't going to offer any more refuge.

"Is he really asleep?" Bella asked, nodding down to Embry, whose grey and black fur was moving up and down with deep heaving breaths.

"Oh yeah, he's completely out. Otherwise, his ears would be twitching all over the place, The guys used to fall asleep over at Sam's all the time." Leah replied nonchalantly, and Bella found herself accepting what she was saying, but it didn't stop her eyes straying to Embry's ears every few minutes, looking for confirmation.

"So you were about to tell me how Paul fucked things up with you two." Leah prodded and against her better judgment, Bella found that she was actually willing to open up. The idea of having someone who could understand her dilemma overrode her intense need to keep what had happened between them locked within herself.

"He didn't fuck things up; I actually think maybe I did…"

Leah opened her mouth to tell her that she seriously doubted that was the case, but Bella shook her head and against everything Leah had observed, she let her voice her delusions.

"He let me ask him questions and I thought afterwards, or at the very least today, I would feel like I understood more… but I guess maybe I asked the wrong things, because I really don't." She couldn't help pulling at a stray thread that was coming undone from the worn edges of the couch cushion, discomfort driving her to release her emotions subconsciously.

"Look, Bells, I know Paul; I've known him for most of my life, and I know he rarely does anything without something being in it for him. So I'm just gonna lay it out there, okay?" Seeing that she had Bella's attention, she marched on. "He probably did it to manipulate you, to get you to fuck him by thinking you were getting to a new level of intimacy or some shit."

Bella couldn't help the little splash of amusement she felt, because Leah was right on target, but what she hadn't accounted for was Bella's level of intoxication when it came to her wolf.

"Something like that, but I wasn't exactly manipulated." Bella mumbled, because while she didn't really want to let Leah this far into her personal life, she also intrinsically felt the need to protect Paul from something she'd agreed to with a sound mind.

"You can always just ask me, you know. I mean unless Jake's paranoia proves us all wrong and we get killed, I think we're gonna be spending a whole fucking heap of time together in the future." Leah mused, the ease of her words betrayed by the way her eyes wouldn't quite catch Bella's.

But Bella just looked at her contemplatively, taking so long to respond that Leah eventually pulled her book back in place and moved her eyes back and forth, pretending to read but watching Bella peripherally.

Something about Leah's choice of words was wriggling its way deep into Bella's fragile psyche and while she tried not to let on just how much the response would mean to her, she formulated a question with care. "You think all he cares about is fucking me?"

Placing her book down, Leah kept her eyes down low and Bella felt her own weaknesses explode with anxiety. "Actually I don't, but I do think the whole imprint thing has really fucked him over."

Twisting in her seat, Leah moved her whole body to face Bella, giving the younger girl a sense that she was being invited into a confidence.

"Paul's always been able to hide behind being a dick. I mean, I've known him since we were little and most of the time he still treats me like he couldn't care whether I exist or not. I'm not gonna lie, he's not an easy person to like, and even harder to love… But I've seen him with you Bells, and while it might look like he's just pushing you around all the time, he's more vulnerable with you, but if I'm honest I don't think it's by choice."

Bella's head ached sharply as she tried once again to piece through what she could take away from what was being said. She was under no illusions that their relationship had been forged and would likely be nurtured solely because of anything other than the imprint, but now that she'd accepted that, it was also a little irrelevant.

"He needs you, and luckily for you, I think you're exactly what he needs." A wry smile graced Leah's lips as she spoke.

Bella nodded, remembering the way Paul had briefly told her Leah's interpretation of the situation. "Yeah, Paul said something about that, about how you think he needs someone who will make him more…" Looking for the right word, Bella finally settled on "…cautious." But she still wasn't sure it encompassed everything she'd understood.

"He did, did he?" Leah eyes brightened slightly, and Bella wasn't sure, but she thought maybe there was a little pride behind them. "He told me I was talking shit when I said that!" Leah laughed, and Bella found herself joining in, being able to envision Paul doing exactly that.

"You see what I mean, he tells me point blank that I'm an idiot, but secretly he's listening, taking it all in. It's easy to get under his skin, after all the boy is basically pure instinct, but getting him to admit it is something else. Can you imagine him with me, or someone like me?" Leah asked, and Bella found that her uncertainty from the night before had vanished, because actually, she couldn't.

"I think he'd give up his wolf just to get away from me." Leah concluded, but Bella thought that might be a step too far.

"Honestly Bells, I don't know what he really feels for you. I know the wolf side of things, the instincts he'll feel, but anything beyond that is something he'll probably only reveal to you. Just don't stop looking beneath the surface, because unlike Sam, I think when Paul lets you in, I don't think you'll ever want out again."

Bella tried not to notice how Leah's eyes had suddenly dulled, how her shoulders had sagged slightly, but it was a topic she herself had introduced, and Bella couldn't help but think it had been a clear invitation.

"What was Sam like? I mean, he wasn't always like how he was with me… was he?" Bella wasn't exactly sure what she believed anymore, and as Leah ran her fingers gently across the pages of her book and looked her over with a thorough gaze, she wondered whether she'd misread the signals.

"I didn't know Sam from school. I didn't even know him from around the rez, but one day, I had this huge fight with my Dad. I can't even remember what it was about now, but I went out into one of the trails to walk out my frustration. I ended up sitting looking out over the north cliffs and I saw him, ready to jump into the ocean from the highest point. I couldn't figure it out, whether he had a death wish, or if he was just out to kill himself. Anyway, I followed him as best I could and I guess now he knew all along what I was doing, and he let me, obviously. He led me all the way out to his house and told me he'd been a few years above me in school. To be honest B, I think he just too lonely to drive away the potential of someone to talk to. But I was young and pushy and I wanted more, and I didn't exactly give him a choice." Leah smiled somewhat wistfully and Bella couldn't help finding the thought repulsive, because there was nothing pleasant about the Sam she'd known and encountered, particularly nothing romantic.

"It didn't take me long to break him, and initially things were actually pretty fucking great. I mean, I had this older boyfriend, who everyone said I should stay away from. And he loved me, no matter what happened after that, I know he did."

Bella felt the mood turn somber, the tone in Leah's voice thick and heavy.

"Anyway, we were going pretty strong and I know he isn't like that now, Bells, but he was romantic and sweet and I think, now that I know everything, he was just so grateful to not be on his own anymore. I don't think he even thought there was a possibility of an imprint for him. I mean, why would you after so long?" There was a moment when Leah looked to catch Bella's eye, but even when she did, Bella was still oblivious to what she was trying to tell her.

"Then everything got fucked up. In the summer the Cullen's came back, I guess, and Sam disappeared. At first it was just for a few hours and he wouldn't show up when he was supposed to, but then it was a few days. I was living with him by then, but started to come and go all the time. I thought he was cheating on me and I tried to confront him, but he would just laugh at me. Laugh, and tell me that he would never do that to me." Leah smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"But it turns out he was just watching the boarders, watching Jake and waiting for when he would phase. I think maybe he thought he was finally gonna get the chance to give it up, to hang up his wolf and just live and die like he should have done so long ago. When he was around he was so sweet, Bella. He talked about babies and growing old together, something he'd always avoided before, and then he proposed…"

"…I guess it wasn't meant to be though, because a few days later, he left, telling me he had to go and see Billy Black, and when he didn't come back that night, I knew it was different. I knew he wasn't ever coming back, at least not to me."

Leah was thumbing the pages of the book softly as she watched Bella's forehead crinkle in confusion. She'd tried to leave a certain amount of ambiguity to the end of her story, hoping it would trigger some further thought. But Bella was either too cautious to ask, or too caught up in another side of Sam to fully pick up on it, and so when the next words fell from her mouth, Leah internally felt a little let down.

"Wow. I didn't even think about what it would be like, having to watch while all your friends die, hiding out in the woods like a leper. I don't get why I angered him so much though, because he was different around me." Bella looked to Leah for answers and though it wasn't the question she hoped for, she was still willing to divulge what she could, hoping to open a channel of trust between them.

"I don't know everything about it, Bella, but I know Sam didn't think it was right; you aren't Quileute. I guess all the other imprints had been before. But more than that, he didn't like that you had more power over Paul than he did."

Bella narrowed her eyes as she worked through that conclusion, wondering if it was accurate, but just as she was about to articulate her thoughts, a tiny movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

At first he twitched only slightly, but as the howls echoing from the thick forestry surrounding them on all sides rang clearer and with more urgency, Embry's eyes pitched forward, followed soon after by sharp hackles rising on his long, slender spine.

"What do you think it is?" Bella asked, her voice returning to the whisper they'd abandoned carelessly.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." All hopes of reassurance were dashed when Embry phased in front of them, his very close and very naked body forgotten as he stood jerkily, his shoulders so high that Bella felt tension rise in her own body.

He didn't speak a word as his eyes darted around the cabin, and then, as if making the final choice, resting on an open doorway for just a second longer than they had anywhere else.

"Get up. Follow me. Don't say a word." His tone was firm and sharp, something Bella had never heard from him before, and without word she moved to his side, finding Leah already two steps ahead.

Walking at a brisk pace, he all but shoved them down into the bathroom hidden off the largest bedroom, standing in the doorway like an old roman guard. "I need to phase back and I need to go outside to do it. Stay here and don't say a word. Don't open the door; don't even breathe if you can help it." He turned so swiftly that Bella found her body jolting forwards with him, and though something in her gut told her this was the wrong thing to do, she listened to the plea in Leah's hands when they held her in place.

The door shut with a gently click that was in clear opposition to how Embry was feeling and the room was immediately blanketed in an eerie cold darkness. There was no window to offer any external light, and only a sliver of yellow flowed from the edges of the door, broadcasting shadows in the first few feet of the room.

Bella could hear the distant sound of the pack, the calls bellowing back and forth as they dulled slightly, only to start up again with a close edge that set her nerves on fire and her blood racing through her veins. Something warm and stiff gripped needily to her hand, and as she realized that it was Leah who had reached out for her, Bella knew that whatever was out there, whatever darkness they had dismissed as nothing more than a foolish paranoia, was now coming, and it was coming fast.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate...xxx **

**Thank you also to all you lovely readers... I can't believe we're already at chapter 21... this puts us about two thirds of the way through this story... so I'll see you again on Wednesday for the beginning of the end! xxx  
><strong>


	22. The Forgotten

There was only so much fear Bella could take, and though the house was eerily still around them, she couldn't help backing her body into the deepest, darkest corner, inadvertently dragging Leah with her. It was clear that from the vice like grip she still had on her hand that wherever Bella went, at least for the immediate future, Leah was destined to be following. Pressed up against the wall, the cold thickness of the tiles seeping through the fabric of her jeans, it was easy to forget in the depth of darkness that it was actually still fairly young in the day. Bella would have sworn to anyone who asked later, that in the bleak corner of the room, night had fallen, because embedded in her mind, in Leah's too in fact, was the precarious notion that bad things didn't happen under the bright haze of sunshine.

"It's gone quiet." Leah mumbled, and it appeared that with her words filling the space around them, she realized the vulnerability of her actions, and she quickly took her hand back into her own possession.

Bella listened intently, because it seemed for the moment just as Leah had said, the world had paused around them.

"Embry said we shouldn't talk." Bella hissed, unsure whether the rules still applied and whether they were of beneficial use either way. When Leah didn't immediately respond, it didn't take Bella long to figure out that it meant they were back to being silent again.

As dreary endless minutes turned to hours, they shifted restlessly in the cool, cramped space. The only audible sound being the intake and outtake of mundane breaths, conversation and howling beasts long forgotten as they both tried to remember that they were brought here for their own protection, not to drive them to death via irritation.

Bella wasn't sure at what point Leah had fallen asleep, or when in fact she'd followed after. She woke with a start, her cheek pressed against what she first assumed to be the hard, tiled floor, but then she became conscious that the floor didn't sway, and it didn't whisper sweet melodies in her ear either.

Her first thought rushed easily to Paul, but as her eyes fluttered open, the smile that was ready on her lips to have him back again quickly died as her eyes met his. The man holding her didn't possess the vivid, lively dark tones of the wolves, the warm depths to their soul. Instead, he was deathly pale, a pallid reflection of his true nature.

In the foreign reaches of her stomach, she felt her fear combust. Her instinct pulled at her limbs to react, while her mind begged her to keep still. Her instincts won through, and as she wriggled against his touch, it only served for him to pull her tighter, his iron fingers gripping into the soft flesh of her body, leaving behind his mark on her now tainted skin.

"What're you doing here?" She asked, finding her voice finally.

He looked down at her, his familiar ochre eyes delighting in the question. "I'm here to rescue you." Succinctly put, he smiled generously, the weapons of his trade flashing with what he mistook for warmth, but showed as something closer to a threat.

Bella shivered reactively, and misunderstanding her, he pulled her tighter, offering something he really didn't have to give.

"Where's Leah?" She asked, turning her head every which way, thankful that they hadn't managed to depart the cabin yet, but confused to find them so alone.

"The other girl is asleep. She doesn't matter." He said dismissively. While his voice was cold, Bella sensed a moment of uncertainty as his eyes flirted back to the doorway through which they'd just entered the room. Desperation set in as she considered the distinct possibility that he was going to take her away, and she searched for any way to stall for time.

"Please Edward, we can't just leave her here." Bella begged, finding his eyes, eyes that had once looked at her with a silent plea of their own.

"Bella, I know what they've been telling you; I understand why you think she might be your friend. But trust me, she's not." Bella couldn't find anything other than the purest sincerity in his voice. So it was a natural reaction to narrow her eyes, to wonder what he actually thought he was protecting her from.

"Edward, just put me down, okay? I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I can't just leave Leah, not with everything going on right now." She couldn't keep the frantic edge out of her voice. In truth she didn't want to go over everything with Edward, not now that she knew what he was.

Looking deep into her eyes he found something that hadn't been there before, a certain wariness that he had feared she would never come to know. "They told you." He concluded with a sigh, closing his eyes from her silent accusations.

Bella tried to soften herself, to fight against the way her muscles wanted to naturally convulse away from his intimate touch, and as she struggled to find a gentle tone to her voice, she couldn't help her eyes from darting around, hoping to find a way out. "They told me what they are, but they had to Edward." Making a firm decision to keep Paul's name out of the conversation, she delighted when his feet stopped their progress to the cabin door, the last hope she had of saving herself.

"They told me what you are too… what you could be." Bella tried not to think of the boy she'd known only as a face she passed in the halls of her high school as a cold hearted killer, but it wasn't easy.

"I know they lied to you Bella; I know they didn't tell you the truth. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so afraid of me." Edward was firm in his assessment, and Bella feared she was losing him again to whatever misapprehension he was under.

"No, they didn't. They told me you were good, that you only kill animals." Holding back the distaste from her voice, Bella looked to his eyes, hoping he would see the blatant truth. "But right now, you need to let me go, Edward. I'm here because I want to be, I don't need rescuing, and I don't need you to save me."

For a minute, as the hard contours of his face softened to show something almost innocent in its beauty, Bella thought perhaps he was going to release her body, but as she watched his eyes flicker contemplatively around the room, she could pinpoint the moment when he made his choice.

"You need to be with me Bella. They're too immature to understand, to appreciate how easy it would be to hurt you and I can't let that happen, not if everything is going to turn out like it should." Nodding his head as though the decision were final, Bella felt the muscles in his upper body tighten, his shoulders pushing back and high with the confidence of his choice.

"But what about Leah? What about her safety? Surely she matters too Edward." Bella protested vehemently, hoping to appeal to what he obviously believed was some chivalrous act.

"Yeah fucker… what about me? You gonna leave me here, feed me to the wolves you think are gonna come knocking?"

Whipping her head around, Bella couldn't hold back a wide smile of relief to see Leah standing defiantly in the doorway, her hands held brazenly on her hips, her poise masking any fear she felt.

"You don't need protecting." Edward repeated. Leah strode towards them, a look of pure defiance on her face, while Bella contemplated his words.

"What does that mean, Edward? Why doesn't she need protecting, but I do? Is it cause I'm so fucking weak that I couldn't possibly take care of myself?" Bella felt the anger begin to bubble irrationally inside her, incapable of being subdued.

Edward seemed slightly taken aback by the way things were beginning to unfold, and as he hesitated, Bella pushed back against his chest catching him unaware. Unfortunately, his senses and his reactions were simply too fast, and just as she felt his grip fading on her skin, he had her tight against his body once again. If anything he held her even closer, the feel of his hands burning into her as they both underestimated the power of his strength.

"You need to let her go. Can't you see that you're hurting her?" Leah shouted as she stepped forward, working against every instinct in her body that was currently screaming at her to get back.

"I would never hurt her." Edward declared, rather incredulously, and even though Bella opened her mouth to tell him that he already was, Leah's anger had already beaten her to it.

"What the fuck do you call those marks on her arms then?" Leah pointed, drawing closer still.

Edward didn't hesitate is whipping her body in the air, lifting her if she'd weighed no more than a grain of sand. His frown was heavy when he pulled her down again, and while his grip lessened, he still refused to let her go.

"Seriously Edward, what the hell is going on? You don't just show up in the middle of the woods saying you're here to rescue someone. Isn't there some sort of agreement between you and the pack? Something Jacob said…." Bella fumbled for the particular words he'd used to describe it, but Leah picked up where her failings began.

"She's right; you've broken the treaty by even stepping foot here, not to mention what Paul is gonna do to your deceased ass when he finds out you've been touching his imprint." Leah raised her eyebrow, but her words seemed to just roll off him, something which left her stumbling a little, as she'd always had it on good authority from Sam that the Cullen's were very mindful of their place in Forks.

"I was invited onto the land." Edward replied calmly, and as if she meant nothing to him at all, he turned his back on Leah and headed towards the door.

"No way fucker. I don't care if you kill me; you're not taking her anywhere." Shouting out her words, Bella could hear the tremors in Leah's voice, the fire burning anger fueled with embers of fear.

"I don't need to explain myself to you, and unless you wish me to divulge exactly what I know about your involvement in the death of Miss. Young, I suggest you quiet yourself and step aside."

Bella couldn't believe the ice she felt harden all over her skin as his words sunk down into her consciousness. Even if she didn't want to believe it, even if the words had come from someone her friends had warned her was not to be trusted, she couldn't stop herself from looking to Leah's eyes. The horror she found there only confirmed her suspicions, and though Leah had run toward them, flung herself into the line of fire with selfless intention, she could see the girl shrink into herself, an attempt to disappear before her very eyes.

"Is it true, Leah?" Bella asked softly, feeling the ridiculous position she was in turn into something quite different under the circumstances.

However Leah didn't need to answer, the truth was written in the lone tear that fell gently down her beautiful cheek. Bella didn't want to see anymore, truly didn't want to face this moment and whatever further truths would follow, so she closed her eyes, turning to her captor to seek a moment of refuge.

Her actions brought a malevolent smile to Edward's ethereal face, a triumph so strong that it tore the guilt from Leah's mind, filling it with a stinging hatred instead.

"You fucker… you come here and think you know everything, but you have no fucking idea. If you had even the slightest clue…" Leah's shrieks fell silent with a dark thud, and though she was still turned the other way, instinct made Bella stiffen.

Turning her head slowly, she didn't necessarily want to open her eyes, but curiosity took over and as she looked to the place Leah had once stood, she found empty air. It was only when her eyes trailed over the room, finding a contorted body in the corner, blood pooling softly in crimson waves on the aged floor, did she open her mouth.

A sharp scream trembled across the sacred tribal land, and miles away dark crows scattered from the trees, flocking to the skies with fright. Beneath them in a dark, overgrown part of the forest, a man and his wolf turned his head to the west. An urgent terror ran through his gut and with one look down at the newly phased wolf by his feet, he rose to his full height. Intent of pushing aside the weak baby Alpha's order, Paul tried to phase back to man, impatience riling him as he pushed again and again. But it was no use, something had changed, something that had made his Alpha too powerful to ignore, something which was going to shatter the newly found solidity of his life into sharp, unforgiving pieces.

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><p><strong>an: Thanks to my wonderful beta Twiticulate you rocked amazing socks with this chap's edits hun... To all you readers, I'm sorry that I missed Wednesday, it could absolutely not be helped. But we're back on track now... so I'll see you all again very soon. **

xxx


	23. Confessions

"This wasn't supposed to happen… This wasn't the way it was meant to go."

Bella strained to hear the words coming frantically from Edward's mouth as he paced the floor, his body moving so fast that if she watched him for any expanse of time, her head began to feel a little woozy.

Since she'd opened her mouth and expelled the pure magnitude of her emotions, he had discarded her roughly in the corner of the room, directly opposite of where Leah's mangled body still lay. Bella tried not to let her eyes linger on the misshaped frame of her friend, hoping Edward would hold his distraction for just a little longer.

At first it was just a flutter of her eyelashes, something Bella couldn't actually decide whether she'd really seen or not; but then it was a little flicker of her fingers, a twitch so small that she knew if Edward hadn't been focused on her during that very millisecond, he was likely to have missed it; and she wanted to keep it that way.

Bella looked up and caught the tail end of Edward mumbling something about Alice and the future, but she couldn't quite catch what it was, and she was almost certain it would be a terrible idea to ask him to repeat himself.

Just as he twirled around once again, ready to pace back away from her, a sudden movement caught her eye, followed by a low, pained groan.

"Leah?" Bella cried, and without thought she scrambled forward, only to find a heavy hand easily holding her back.

"Edward, let me go! She needs help."

However Edward didn't relent, and instead of allowing her forward, he pushed her back into her own corner.

"No, if you go over there and get her blood on you, I can't be held accountable for my actions." His tone had softened slightly and Bella raised her angry eyes to catch the desperate look he was offering her. Nodding her head reluctantly, she sat back, trying to think of any way to save herself and Leah.

It took minutes of watching Leah writhe in pain to clear her head sufficiently to think, but nothing of any use came to mind. Frustrated by her own incompetence, she settled on simply appealing to his better nature.

"Edward, you need to leave, to let me help Leah. Jacob said you weren't bad, that you don't hurt people, but you're hurting Leah. If you don't let me help her, then she might die, and I don't think the pack will care whether you drained her blood or threw her against a wall; dead is dead to them."

He stopped pacing and turned to her, his expression unreadable as he stared with unblinking eyes. It was eerie to see him with his pretenses dropped, and while the speed he possessed was surprising, the true lack of life behind his eyes was chilling.

"She won't die." Edward spoke plainly, but Bella doubted he could be sure.

"You don't know that Edward; you can't." Calling his bluff, she lifted herself up onto her knees, moving with determined patience. She stood slowly from her knees, and as she forced her eyes to look beyond him, she took her first step and then another. She was almost the whole way across the room when he tired of her game and pulled her back angrily, depositing her in the corner once again. It was only when she looked up to find him gone, to find Leah gone too, that she realized the situation might be a lot more precarious than she'd accounted for.

Fighting back tears, she rose again and this time she decided that without a fight, she wouldn't be going anywhere. She was so determined that she didn't hear him coming, didn't feel the air distort as he stood mere inches from her body.

His hands were firm, but they were careful this time as he lifted her into the air, carrying her ungraciously to the little bathroom from which they'd only just departed.

Lying in the bottom of the tub, her eyes wide with fright, was Leah. Cold water was cascading down on her body and as the water twisting down into the earth turned from a deep red to a muted pink, Bella felt Edward release her once again.

Rushing down to her side, Bella helped lift her body into an upright position and after gentle hands had run over her skin, she was fairly certain that Leah was nursing a broken arm, a deep gash to her leg and little more than a few burgeoning bruises and scrapes. The physical manifestations of Edward's strength and anger were intimidating, and as he lingered behind her in the doorway, Bella couldn't help pressing herself as far from him as she could manage.

"They'll be here soon, you know, and when they get here they're going to rip you to shreds." Leah winced through her words and Bella laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, trying to diffuse some of her anger and let her body heal.

"Edward, I really think it would be a good idea for you to leave now. We won't even tell them that you were here." Bella knew his name would probably be the first word out of her mouth if Paul ever showed up, but he didn't need to know that.

Edward just sighed dramatically and when he spoke this time it was with a hard, callous edge to his tone. "Isabella, I think I've put up with this for longer than has been necessary. In time you will come to see that I was right in coming here, and that I'm right in taking you away now." And with that he ripped her away from Leah.

They were moving so fast that she couldn't catch any sharp form to anything, so she was speechless when he ground to an abrupt halt right by the front door, his taut body holding far more tension than normal, even for him.

"They're here." He said with an eerie calm, and were it not for the frown pulling down his forehead into minute creases, she would have almost said he was pleased to have been discovered.

Bella waited and waited, staring at the front door with an expectation that ebbed and flowed, growing to a crescendo only to be thwarted when time passed and she found herself still very much trapped with Edward.

Turning to her captor, Bella looked for the reason why he seemed so at peace, so calm when the storm was already rattling against the window panes.

"They can smell her blood; they know if they attack too hastily, I will hurt you." Edward remained focused on the door as he spoke, and while she wondered how he'd known her thoughts, the only thing she was lingering on were the words he'd spoken. He hadn't said could, or might, he had definitely said 'will'. Stepping back, she looked to where she'd left Leah, briefly pausing on the darkening stain where her body had landed.

"What do you want?" She asked, finding a sliver of courage as she turned from the door, giving him her full attention.

"I want for everything to go how it should have gone; I want it to go back to how it was meant to be." He said firmly, and Bella decided if he was willing to speak, now was the time to press on.

"And how was it meant to be, Edward? I mean, you don't go risking your life running into a den of wolves unless it's important." She wasn't sure actually what the rules where in the Vampire kingdom on when how vapidly lives were thrown around, but the hypothesis seemed the same.

"You weren't meant to be with them at all. If only we hadn't left, it would have certainly been different."

Bella didn't quite understand, but she was beginning to glimmer with an unpleasant awareness, that whatever had drawn him to this place seemed to revolve around her.

"You mean last year? When your family moved here and then left again so quickly?" Bella asked, hoping to keep him talking and gather more time for the forces outside to formulate some sort of master plan.

"Yes. She knew it was you the moment she saw you, but she didn't know what you would do to me, how crazy you would make me, how out of control." Edward spoke with a forlorn solemnity, but it failed to evoke any sympathy in Bella.

"Edward you're kinda confusing me. Who's 'she?' And what did 'she' know?" Bella took one step forward, pushing her muscles to narrow the gap against her better judgment, offering the illusion of a confidante.

"Alice. She's sees things, and one of those things she saw was you; you and me together." Edward looked at her openly, inviting her to accept or approve of his advances, but Bella felt nothing other than the instinctual need to be anywhere other than this close to him. Seeing her resistance, he sighed. "I know you think they have your best interests at heart, Bella, but they're wild. I know you think they could never hurt you, but they killed one of their own, not only that but they did so in a brutal manner. I spent months watching you, acclimatizing myself just so I could be closer to you, so I would never hurt you."

Bella was shaking her head as he spoke, willing him to stop as she arrived at the conclusion that she'd heard more than enough.

"Please… just don't." She shouted. "You think this is protecting me? I told you that I want to be here and you try to drag me away! You tell me that they mean me harm, but it's you who's held me so tight that my skin still burns!" Throwing her hands in the air, she pivoted on the spot, and though her heart was threatening to take flight, she turned her back on him and walked away.

It was that statement that pushed Paul to the point where he could take no more, sending him crashing through the barriers of Jacob's mind with a force that the baby Alpha couldn't have predicted or prevented. He broke down the door, sending shards of wood flying dangerously around the room. He almost gagged on the thick billow of air that was coated in an acrid, sickly scent.

A crash of shattering glass sounded from the rear of the house and tasting the lure of the hunt it took every morsel of self-control he had not to phase immediately into a predator, to discard his imprint and one of his oldest friends to maim and destroy. But this wasn't a random nomadic leech that he could hunt for days and never see again; no, he knew where this one lived and he would be paying him a visit very soon.

Following his nose, he rushed through the small cabin to the dark little bathroom that oozed distractedly with fear and blood. He tried to focus on the girl who was still bleeding in the bathtub. After all, she was his Alpha's imprint and definitely worthy of his attention, but he couldn't help his eyes roaming all over Bella's body, searching her for the signs of the Leech's touch.

Bella knew what he was doing as his eyes darted all over her, and without words she stepped into his body, placing her petite hand on his jaw, forcing his eyes to hers. "He bruised me, nothing more. I promise you can inspect me all you want later, but right now, you need to get Leah help."

Her words shook him back into action and while he kneeled down to look over the broken girl, he couldn't help the low warning growl that spread from his gut when Bella moved too far from his side. He'd nearly lost her, or at least that was how he'd seen it. It was all too easy to morph her body, to replace one with the other and it would be his imprint bleeding in a bathtub. It didn't help that he'd heard every word the leech had said either, and it was simply too important to dismiss the knowledge that one of the Cullens had staked a claim on something that was his.

"I need to talk to you."

Nodding his head, Paul saw the intent in Leah's eyes and then watched as they flickered meaningfully to Bella. But it didn't matter; if she had something to say that couldn't be overheard it would simply have to wait. The past had been nipping at their heels for too long now, and if it had finally caught up to them, he wasn't going to hide; he was going to face it head on.

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><p><strong>an: Thanks to my beta Twiticulate, who makes all my chaps pretty for all you lovely readers... **

**Well, this one was a day late... sorry about that folks, I was worried for a moment there that it might be much worse. I'm aiming for Sunday again, so hopefully I'll see you then. xxx**


	24. The Descent

Paul had been unwilling to let her out of his sight. So unwilling in fact that even when Embry and Jacob had returned from chasing Edward all the way through La Push to the border, he had remained stalwart by Bella's side. Every move she'd made, he had followed no more than two steps behind. So when she threw her exhausted body and mind down into the warm embrace of the sofa, he had only been a second behind in joining her.

At first he had sat languidly, one of his large hands wrapped possessively around her thigh. However as the minutes passed and they waited for any news from Jacob, who had taken Leah away to visit with the local rez doctor, he had softened his pose.

Bella didn't mind in the slightest to have her very own six foot five shadow trailing imposingly behind her. In fact, she welcomed the warmth he brought to her composure in ways that made her shudder happily. So as he laid his body down, wrapped an arm around her legs and placed his head softly in her lap, she did nothing to discourage him. It was only moments later as she watched his chest rise and fall hypnotically, drifting into a deep slumber, did she feel the unsettling feeling of eyes lingering on her skin. Looking up she couldn't help the blush that fell on her cheeks to see Embry watching her, his focus trailing over her fragile hand that lay on Paul's exposed upper torso, moving slowly upwards to see the intricate way they'd entwined themselves with one another so easily.

"I'm sorry." Bella said with deep feeling, longing for Embry to meet her eyes, to accept what hadn't even really been a choice for her.

Embry began to shrug his shoulders nonchalantly, but stopped when he noticed the sadness in her eyes, the curve of her plump lips drawing her whole face into a soft frown.

"Please don't do that, Emb, don't make out like it means nothing to you. I know you probably don't want to talk about it anymore, but I just need you to know that selfishly or not, I still care for you."

He couldn't help but feel her words penetrate the mask he had been ready to slip back on, throwing his carefully cautioned mind into disarray. He understood her request, but he couldn't help the twinge of anger he felt towards her, knowing how easily she could have simply let him live with his lie.

"What do you want me to do then, Bells? Tell you that it hurts like fuck to see you wrapped around my brother? Tell you that I wish it was me, just so you have the satisfaction of knowing that your apology is necessary?" He snarled his words, feeling guilty when her eyes widened slightly with shock to see him splayed so raw, but what else had she expected?

"You think I asked for this!" She implored, but not once did she pull herself away from her protector's embrace. "I can't even explain it, Emb! I don't even know him, but he's just…" Finding words for how she felt around Paul felt like something that would almost be impossible. She didn't know him well enough for love, didn't really understand him enough for like, but she still needed him in ways that she couldn't articulate.

"You forget I can see his mind, Bells. You don't need to justify it to me; just stop asking me to understand, okay?" He begged, and automatically she hung her head with shame. She understood that what she was asking for was selfish, but she just wanted everything to fall neatly into place without any leftover emotions lying abandoned to trip over.

A silence amassed between them, and though his eyes rested on her fingers, fingers that were subconsciously caressing Paul from his hip to his chest, they were both content for the moment to rest within their own minds.

"What do you know about Emily Young's death?" Bella asked from thin air, pulling Embry back to the present with welcome relief and pushing aside the catastrophe that had unwound over the past twenty four hours. He debated internally over how much he should admit to, but as she watched him flicker between uncertainty and decisiveness, he didn't appreciate how open his thoughts were to her.

"Please don't lie to me, Emb… I feel like I was handed this really intriguing invite to a party, but I can't actually get in the door. So if you're going to pretend you don't know anything, just say that, okay?" She'd never been quite this brutal with him before, and underneath he understood that for now he was the only one who would see this side of her, something which he told himself to embrace.

"I know that Paul knows something about it. I know that Jake's been trying to force his way into his mind with no luck. I also know he thinks Leah knows the whole thing too, but he's too scared of fucking up this whole imprint thing to challenge her about it." Embry admitted succinctly, and Bella nodded along, accepting that he probably only knew as much as she did when it came to actual facts.

"Edward said some really interesting things, Emb. I know you probably think anything that comes from his mouth is bullshit, but he said Leah had played a part in Emily's demise and she all but admitted it, Emb. I mean, she was outright crying at the accusation. And then he said that they'd destroyed one of their own, not only that, but brutally." Her confession had turned into a whisper, and gradually her fingers had stopped their silent caress.

It took a few moments for Embry to process her words and not simply dismiss them as she'd rightly predicted he would. "What do you want to do about it?" He asked genuinely, understanding that his role in the pack had never been solidified to anything other than the Alpha's best friend and as such his loyalty was not yet tethered within the ranks.

"I think we need to talk to Jake, and if that doesn't work, I think we just get the pack together and have it out. If what he said was true, then maybe he's right, Emb… not about everything, but…" She couldn't help the way her thoughts had been meandering, even if her whole soul retched up just thinking about the potential outcomes.

"Don't fucking say that!" Embry shouted, and when Paul shuffled his body restlessly, she sent him a sharp look, telling him in no uncertain words to keep his protests at a civilized level.

"Fine." Embry huffed, but his words were much closer to a whisper and Bella couldn't help sending him an approving smirk. "Maybe Cullen knows a thing or two about what went on with them and Emily, but it doesn't mean he has all the answers. Have you even considered that maybe she was crying because it was her fucking cousin you were talking about? And anyway, don't you think the more important thing we need to focus on is what the fuck Cullen wanted with you anyway." Embry sat back and opened his body in a very confident manner, but Bella knew the boy hiding underneath the façade of the man.

"He thinks we belong together, Emb, he as much as said so and I think it's why Paul won't leave my side…." Bella sighed and then moved on, trying to resist another conversation about the ridiculousness of having a Vampire intent on seeing her in his arms. "And I get what you're saying about Leah, Emb; really I do, but you didn't see the look in her eyes, you didn't see the guilt oozing from her." Mimicking his pose, she sat back, but it was a little more difficult with two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle restricting her movements.

"So what? You think Leah killed her?" Embry asked in a very condescending manner, but he was met with a difficult sincerity.

"I don't know, Emb, but I'm not willing to ignore it anymore. Something happened between them all, something which is obviously affecting us now. The last thing I want to do is point fingers, but what if he was telling the truth, what if she did kill her, or what if they all did?" Bella didn't bring to life her unspoken fears that maybe Paul had been the one to deliver the final blow, but she knew the possibility was creeping further and further into the conscious realm of her mind.

"Bells, I think maybe you just need to get more sleep, to rest awhile. I mean it's not everyday you get held hostage by a leech and I think maybe it's fucking with you a little. I mean maybe you just need to leave the important stuff to us." His words were soft, but Bella could hear the harsh reality behind them. Let it go, he was saying, stop delving into something that doesn't concern you. It was the first moment she had felt truly alienated from her old friend, and she couldn't help the little sting of tears that pushed against the back of her eyes. In light of the alienation, she didn't want him to see her weakness, to see how much he'd affected her with so little effort, so she pushed aside her emotions and with a strength she didn't know she possessed, she pushed Paul's head from her lap.

Brushing down her jeans, she rose fluidly and with a nod in his general direction, she bid Embry goodnight, not even turning to look to Paul, who she knew would follow soon after.

As she walked away, her face now properly hidden from his line of sight, the first tears fell, rolling heavily down her cheeks.

Paul didn't need to tell her that he'd been awake for the latter part of her conversation with his brother, didn't need to see the red tinge to her eyes to know that she was shedding tears over something she couldn't control. He just knew that enough was enough, that too much time had passed worrying about something he had never had the capacity to control.

Pressing the door of the smaller bedroom back into its frame, feeling the click of the latch in the palm of his hand, he didn't say a word. He didn't force her to face him as she rolled into her body on the bed. Instead he simply wrapped himself around her, drawing strength from having her so close.

His thick fingers pulled wet strands of hair away from her face, running low into her scalp as he massaged the pain and tension from her body. Only when he felt she was under her own control did he lift her with one hand, turning her to face him and forcing her eyes to his when she tried to look away, to hide herself from him.

"You aren't an idiot to ask those questions. He's just scared for you and he doesn't know how to protect you anymore, especially with me around." Paul spoke with sincerity, but there was still that edge to him which kept her slightly at bay. Bella couldn't help but feel that she wanted to attack that barrier he had erected with a sledge hammer, to push him so far that he had no other option than to break. But then he wouldn't be Paul, she argued, he wouldn't be the unfathomable annoyance that kept her thinking, that kept her crawling back for more. He wouldn't be her wolf.

"Leah didn't kill Emily." He said clearly, his voice low and meant only for her ears.

It took just a moment for her to wrap herself around what he was saying, what he had just offered without a single question falling from her mouth. Not too many days ago he had told her that he could say no more on the subject, but here he was divulging truths with no prompting.

"You told me you couldn't talk about it. That Sam had placed orders on you." Bella couldn't hide the suspicion from her voice, because either he had been lying to her before, or something she didn't comprehend had changed things drastically.

"Quil joined the pack today. It was the reason why Embry left you alone, even though it was fucking stupid of him to do that." Paul raised his voice slightly, and Bella knew he was chastising his packmate, using their conversation to remonstrate.

"Having more wolves in his pack makes Jacob stronger as an Alpha, and until now the orders Sam had on me still stood. Quil phasing screwed that all up." Paul sighed, not hiding just how displeased he was with the new arrangement.

"So that means you can tell me who killed Emily?" Bella asked tentatively, trying not to indulge the way her heart was beating just a little faster, fear and impatience vying for her sole attention as she watched him war within himself.

"Yeah it does…" Paul said slowly, his eyes capturing hers intently, looking for something she couldn't fathom to provide.

They lay in silence for what felt like hours, Bella pressing back her impatience with each breath until Paul felt the moment was right. But when he opened his mouth to speak, she wished she'd never asked at all. "It was me… I killed Emily."

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><p><strong>an: A big thank you as always to my wonderful beta Twiticulate, who never fails to add her own brand of magic to these chaps. **

**And a huge thanks to all you readers who take the time to review/alert and simply join me each week. I know I don't appreciate you enough... **

**As always, I'm aiming for the next chap to be with you on Wednesday, so fingers crossed, I'll see you then. xxx**


	25. The Third Man

Bella couldn't think of a single thing to say, and so she settled for just blinking as a way of communication.

'Why?' She blinked, before rushing on with, 'How?' and then followed it quickly in succession with 'No'. As they lay there, each silently assessing the other, Bella realized she was holding her breath, praying for the moment when he would erupt in raucous laughter and tell her how gullible she could be. She would feign annoyance, but secretly she would feel the flutters of relief trickle down to extinguish the flames of horror that had engulfed her gut.

However Paul just watched her, his dark eyes hoping for anything other than a blank stare to take form on her delicate features. Anything would be better he figured, than the lifeless daze in her eyes.

"You?" She finally whispered, needing to hear him say it one more time before she gathered together her wits and made some sort of progress in her mind.

"Me." He responded clearly, nodding just to add further confirmation.

He opened his mouth again to speak, but as she reached out and pressed her fragile hand against his bare chest, he felt the pressure of her pushing him away. He could understand her reaction, but he needed to clarify everything, to explain that it wasn't something as cut and dry as she probably imagined.

He shifted backwards just slightly, but kept her within his reach and then moved to speak again. Unfortunately, time was not on his side, and just as her name fell from his lips, he heard the front door slam and Jacob's booming voice ring throughout the small, wooden interior of the cabin. "Hey Bells, Paul, can you come out here guys? There's someone I want to introduce you to."

Paul sighed as he rose to his feet, but as he watched Bella lift herself in an almost catatonic state from her own side of the bed, he knew he needed to speak to her first. Moving quickly to block her path, she didn't see him coming, so before she could think to look up, she was already stepping into his embrace.

His arms held their usual warmth, their blanket of comfort, and for the first time, she felt nauseous knowing that her body was uniformly capable of betraying her mind so thoroughly. It hadn't even been minutes since he'd looked her in the eye and confessed to murder, but she was still leaning in, stealing his strength as he knitted together wounds he himself had inflicted.

She couldn't pull herself away, the most she could manage was to stand there and force all her muscles to hang limply, unwilling to feed into the unnatural pull she felt for him. Her body twitched just slightly as he bent down to whisper in her ear, but what he mistook for fear was actually an instinct of pure pleasure that she had no capacity to control.

"You need to let me explain, just give me that much?" He growled gently, but she could feel the frustration ebbing into her skin, morphing her mood with his as he tried to rationalize his actions, and his proceeding choice to tell her about them.

What Bella didn't understand as she struggled to find a way to tell him that she just needed some room to think, to process what she'd learned without her desperate need for him taking over, was that her head was already solemnly moving from right to left.

"Please Bella, you need to know all the facts. Then if you still decide you hate me, I'll stay away from you." Paul's voice was so low, so intimate, that she felt it twanging against the chords of her deepest emotions. Lifting her head, she looked deep into his eyes and found herself drowning.

"Guys!" Jacob shouted again with a hint of irritation.

The external nudge was enough to throw Bella off course and without a word, or a hint that she would hear him out, she pivoted on the spot and left the room, leaving Paul to trail after her warring internally with his wolf over why exactly it had been necessary to reveal the truth to his imprint.

"Bells, this is Quil." Jacob beamed, not noticing the stunned look on her face, or the way her body was moving listlessly through the room to greet their newest members.

Quil looked positively exuberant as his eyes roamed around the room, and Bella couldn't help thinking that if he knew the life stepped into, perhaps he'd be running in the opposite direction instead.

"Quil, this is Bells." Jacob finished his introductions and Quil smiled openly at her, something she had to force her lips to reciprocate. "You're Paul's imprint, right?" He said eagerly, a hint of pride in his voice knowing he'd used the right terminology. She immediately swiveled her head around, expecting to see Paul standing protectively at her shoulder.

He wasn't there though, and she was forced to wander her eyes over the room, landing squarely in the corner where Paul was sending very pointed looks to Leah, who he seemed to have cornered during her distraction. Bella knew at once the message he was trying to impart to his old friend, but she couldn't pull her eyes away, not even when Jacob tugged gently on her arm, reminding her that she had been asked a question.

"Yeah, I'm his imprint." She confirmed with a drone, all hint of emotion gone from her voice.

"If you don't mind, I'm not feeling too well. It was nice to meet you, Quil." She said absently, not feeling the lingering sets of eyes on her back as she slovenly exited the room, returning to her bed where she promptly crawled into a neat, reassuring ball.

She'd been so sure that he would follow, so certain of it in fact, that when the door creaked open and clicked shut, she didn't move a single muscle. The bed rolled slightly as a new weight was lowered, but when a voice began to speak, it was not the deep apologetic tones she predicted.

"Bells, you need to give him a chance to explain, to understand him. It's not as simple as assigning blame and if you want to be angry or upset, then I deserve a portion of that too, as did Jared, and so does Sam. Not a single one of us was innocent Bella, and in my opinion, not a single one of us was truly guilty either." Leah hadn't lowered her voice, hadn't tried to disguise what they were discussing, if anything she had spoken clearly, welcoming all ears to her confession.

If Bella had the acute senses of those around her, she would have heard the whole cabin still, the eyes of her two friends turning accusatorily to her wolf, only the face of their newest looking perplexed and unsure.

"He killed her Leah, he said so himself. There aren't any shades of grey when it comes to that, and now I'm stuck with him forever." Bella spoke with as much malice as she could manage; knowing Paul was probably locked onto every beat of her heart.

"Oh grow up, Bella!" Leah snarled, and for the first time since she'd entered the room, Bella turned to glare at her intruder.

"You weren't there, and if you're going to be so small minded then you're right, you are stuck with each other, but personally I think it's Paul I'll feel sorry for in the long run." Leah stood and turned to the window, her confidence and bravado piquing Bella interest to such an extent that she heaved her cold body up into an upright position.

"Well pardon fucking me, Leah. Forgive me for not falling at his feet just after he tells me that he killed a girl! After all I've been kept so well informed!" Bella threw out sarcastically. "Please, by all means, enlighten me as to why I should change my opinion of a man that has displayed time and again exactly how caring and compassionate he is towards me. Please explain why I should listen to him when he just confessed to murder."

Leah's back was still turned to her when she began to speak again, the power of her assertion gone as her cadence took on something of a dreamy reverie. "I tried to tell you before, to explain to you what it was like being with Sam, but I think maybe you weren't ready to hear it then.

When he left me, for the last time I mean, he'd already met Emily. She'd come to my house to visit during the summer, just a quick trip to say hi to the family. I had no idea what it would do to Sam. I told you before that he'd given up any thought of an imprint. I know for a lot of the guys it's a burden, something they see as both a weakness and a strength, but after so many years alone, and after finding me, I think Sam understood it as a curse. He'd lived alone for so long, Bells, that it had taken everything he had left to love me, to see a future that wasn't just an existence of watching everyone around him die. And then along came Emily, and she just threw a fucking spanner into everything." Leah shook her head, and Bella could feel her body pulsing forward, longing to hear more.

"Paul might tell you what it was like to be in his head, Bells, but I wouldn't count on it as I seriously doubt it was a pretty place to be." Leah paused with a sigh, and when she turned around to sit on the window ledge, Bella saw the streaks of silent tears coursing down her face, and she couldn't help but wonder how she'd spoken so assuredly without faltering.

"Emily left after a few days and I never thought to check with her family, to see if she made it home. I think they probably assumed she decided to stay on… but what none of us figured was she'd found Sam instead. I don't know what happened between them, Bells; I don't like to think about it. But I hope that Sam didn't hurt her, that he didn't take out his anger over the imprint on her. About a week before Sam was 'found'…" Leah said, using her fingers to wordlessly emphasize her meaning. "... I was walking through the woods when I heard them. They were all bickering about something, so I guess they didn't hear me coming. I was pissed off when I saw them all; Sam, Paul, Jared and Emily, all sitting around like fucking musketeers, like I hadn't even existed. I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I took it out on Emily. I mean, how could she just be sitting there with him when she'd known how upset I was after he'd gone missing? At least that's what I thought at the time. But looking back, she didn't know, she'd been gone too."

Bella didn't turn her head when the door cautiously opened, and Leah didn't even flicker her eyes from where they were locked with hers.

"Paul and Jared tried to get me to calm down, but Sam didn't know what to do. He just stood there watching as we fought over him, but then I pushed her and she hit me. They were trying to hold me back, but I guess it was something to do with his anger, with protecting me, because he was too close, too close to both of us and I found out what they'd all been hiding when he phased."

The silence that engulfed the room was deafening, and as Bella dropped her eyes from Leah, she found herself skimming the floor, finding a familiar pair of bare feet and then she slowly worked her way upwards.

A dark mask had settled over his features, and she longed to walk to him, the tell him to just stop hiding and let them in, but she couldn't bring her legs to stand.

He only had eyes for her as he spoke, but what he said was chillingly succinct. "I broke her back, slashed right through her spine before I could even think to pull myself back." He didn't linger, and just as he turned away, Bella was certain she saw a flash of abject guilt in his eyes.

They all stared at the spot where Paul had stood, wondering just what more could be said to make this something that belonging somewhere between guilt and innocence.

"She could have survived; she would have been paralyzed, but if Sam had accepted her, I think maybe she could have been happy." Leah sighed miserably and for the first time since entering the room, Jacob made his way to his imprint's side.

"Sam made Jared and Paul take me away, and I never saw Emily again. I wasn't stupid, I knew that he'd killed her, but I told myself that I believed she was still alive, that he was taking care of her somewhere. Until, of course, they found her body." Jacob wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest before sending a pointed look at Bella to leave, as his imprint collapsed into uncontrollable sobs of anguish.

Numbly she rose to her feet and followed Embry's wide back until they were standing dazed in the living area of the cabin. She could tell from the look on Quil's face that he didn't know what to do with himself, and if she was honest, Embry didn't look like he was holding up much better.

"Bells?" Embry asked guardedly and she simply shook her head. He left her to her own thoughts and she looked to the open doorway, seeing Paul's form slumped down on the top step. She couldn't process everything she'd heard, everything they'd said and confessed to. But she knew that there was a choice to be made. Her eyes flickered from the doorway to Embry and back again, uncertainty and confusing marring her thoughts as she saw the life she'd once chosen and the life that had chosen her, unknowingly waiting for her to make up her mind.

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><p><strong>an: ... ahh I have about twenty seconds to post this and run. Thank you to my oh so wonderful beta Twiticulate, your additions were superb hun... I'll see you all again soon... xxx**


	26. Haunted

Bella took one long last look at Embry, his head cocked to the side in curiosity, wondering why she was staring at him so intently. There was no choice she concluded, no place in her heart left to feel anything other than the bonds of friendship for someone who had once held such possibilities. Lending him the softest of smiles, she turned back to Paul, her feet heavy as she crossed the distance between them.

The air felt smooth on her skin and as she lowered herself down by his side, she was immediately grateful for the heat he exuded. He didn't look up from his hands, but she could tell from the way his body had hitched itself slightly in her direction, he was well aware of her presence.

"I don't need you to tell me that what I did was a mistake." He growled sharply, the ferocity of his voice unnerving her slightly. She didn't think that fear was something she could really feel with her wolf, but he was certainly testing the hypothesis.

Not uttering a single word, Bella lifted her head to look out into the forest, the deep darkness easing her thoughts into simple questions. He was still here, barely feet from where he'd laid his confession and as far as she could tell, there was nothing holding him back but himself.

The strength of her principles lay shattered all around her, and though she wanted to believe that each circumstance deserved a true hearing, she had also been brought up with a strict father's voice, whether it was at the end of the phone line from three thousand miles away, or shouting directly in her ear. A criminal was a criminal, was a criminal. There was no such thing as a shade of grey where the law was concerned. Looking to Paul, she couldn't understand half of the things he had to deal with on a daily basis, couldn't even fathom what it must feel like to first lose your body and then your soul to a curse beyond your own choosing. Nevertheless, she still didn't know if that meant she could excuse him for brutally harming an innocent girl, accident of otherwise.

It was that last thought which struck a horrific nerve, one she would never speak aloud to her wolf; Edward had been right.

"Will you tell me what happened?" Bella asked suddenly, realizing she could go around all day in her head without understanding him anymore than she did in this moment, but he had answers and silently she pleaded for them to be just.

"What else is there to say? I fucked up and she's dead." Raising his head sharply, she knew he was looking for something, sympathy, judgment, anything he could hurl around and use as a means to pull away. Arranging her features into the blankest canvas she could concoct, she waited for him to go on, as she knew he would.

"I know what you're going to say, Bella… You're going to tell me that it wasn't my fault, that I didn't have the power to control it, and that you don't blame me, but I don't need your fucking acceptance, okay?" His voice had raised to the point that Bella noticed Embry shuffling a little closer to the door, but she only held up her hand, begging him back as she took Paul's stare into her own.

"Actually, I don't know what to say right now. I don't know if I blame you or not, because all I know is you got a little pissy and sliced a girl in half. I would like it if you would stop being such a stubborn prick and tell me why you did it, but if you don't then I guess I'm just going to go on thinking that the guy I'm destined to spend the rest of my life with is a fucking heartless killer." Bella ranted, meeting the volume he'd shown her with ease. She couldn't remember how many days it had been since he'd rolled into her life and convoluted it beyond recognition, but she knew it was far too few for the levels of anxiety and stress she'd suffered.

Holding her stare his lips rose slightly in appreciation, admiring the way she had stood up to him. His imprint never failed to surprise him and it brought back just a snatch of his humanity.

"Now if you want to talk about it, then great; let's go. If not…" Bella just shrugged her shoulders, secretly hoping he wouldn't opt for not, because she hadn't actually thought her plan through that far yet.

Her body pricked with anticipation as he took the better part of forever to make up his mind, but when he rose to his feet and held out his hand for her to take, she didn't hide the small smile of triumph on her lips. She didn't look back to see Embry standing, positively unsettled in the doorway of the cabin, nor did she notice when Paul pulled her from her feet and turned soft steps in an angry release as they tore through the maze of trees like wildfire.

Paul was out of breath when they found the moon once again and Bella knew it was a testament to how hard he'd truly pushed himself. She didn't utter a squeak as he lowered her down onto her bare feet, the sharp prickle of undergrowth drawing her attention from the magnificent world he had brought her too.

The trees seemed to line up behind them, waiting with endless patience for their turn to fall down into the ocean below, the sheer drop just inches from her toes sending her heart spiraling. Still, her fear only added to the beauty of the moment, the dark waves crashing against the rocks with only moonlight to guide them along the way. It felt like the ends of the earth and she knew when she turned to see Paul slumped against the thick bark of a tree, that he had brought her somewhere that was dear to him.

Bella didn't wait for any clearly expressed invitation to join him, nor did she disturb his peace as she followed him to the forest floor, waiting for his revelations.

"I seriously don't know why I'm telling you this; it won't do any good." Paul said, his eyes lost in the expanse of the ocean.

She wanted to tell him that it would likely do no harm either, but she held her tongue. She wouldn't offer placating words when she knew they would only fall on unwelcome ears.

"There aren't many people who I would call a friend, even fewer I would say I actually give a fuck about; Leah is both of those things. She isn't what you are to me, and she never will be, but she and Jared were the first people who showed me that other people weren't around just to be manipulated. This isn't a fucking happy ending Bella, they didn't show me how to love again and bring me inner peace or some shit. Right now one of them is dead and the other can barely say two words without making me think about how I killed her cousin right in front of her fucking eyes."

Bella hands itched to hold themselves out to him, but for once she managed to will herself back, to press them under the pressure of her thighs and hope that she would have the strength to keep them there until he was done.

"I know you probably want some fucking eloquent description of why I did what I did, but it really isn't too complicated. Emily hit someone I care about, someone I would kill for…" Even Paul managed to twitch slightly at the choice of his words, but barely a second later he was plowing on as though nothing objectionable had been said. "…And when you've got a seriously powerful feral animal driving your instincts when someone hits one of your own, you react." Paul took a moment to run his hands through his dark hair, his eyes suggesting a heavier burden than his words denied. "I'm sorry I hurt her, I really am. If she'd just been a little further away, if it had been a week later and I was more in control, if Sam had reacted quicker, or if Jared had managed to pull me away in time. There are so many fucking 'what if's', B, that it will probably drive me fucking insane thinking about them. The only important thing, the only thing you need to know, is I reacted and someone got killed." Paul spoke with such clarity that Bella couldn't even begin to feel the edges to pull away what was a carefully constructed bravado, and reveal what was actually him underneath.

Staring at a small rock that was threatening to topple over the edge of the cliff down into the depths below, Bella felt the urge to stand and push it, to finish off what it had decided to begin. Turning to Paul sharply, she spoke softly, knowing she was opening up to him when he was closing down so effortlessly. "What do you want me to do with all this? I mean we've never even really spoken about the whole imprint thing and what it means… Do you want me to forgive you, to understand? I need a little help here because I'm trying to figure out where I stand with this, and yet I don't actually even know if it's necessary." Bella knew he would think she was being weak, asking him to make her decisions, but it wasn't anything of the sort.

"What do you mean, 'if it's necessary?'" He asked, his interest piqued enough to provide something in his tone other than a concerted calm.

"I mean, when you stop fucking holding us hostage in the woods. Did you want to date? Did you want to be my boyfriend? What?" Even in the current tide, Bella couldn't help feeling extremely exposed with her impromptu diversion.

"I want anything you'll give me. Hell, if I had my fucking way you'd live in my place and never leave, but somehow I don't see you or Jake going along with that plan. But fuck yeah, I want you in every part of every day." Paul said and Bella was surprised with his passion, with the fire that blazed in each word.

"Okay." Bella concluded, and then she found that the small wave of pleasure she'd felt had to be extinguished to deal with the actual important things that were thundering through her once peaceful life.

"What if it happened again? What if I hit Leah, would you attack me?" Bella asked sincerely, not holding any punches where her future was concerned.

Paul paled instantly and though he only shook his head, she understood that her question had riled him.

"What about if someone hit me, what would you do then?" She pressed and just as she'd known it would, his answer sent a chill hurtling down her spine.

"I'd kill them in a fucking second."

Bella pressed her teeth down into her lip to prevent her instinctual response from escaping, allowing herself some time to mull over his intensity.

"What if I asked you to promise not to? Not if they were human at least?" She knew it was a lost cause when it came to Vampires or any being on an even playing field. Just the thought of him using something his elders had bestowed on him as a gift in such a horrendous way, left her unwaveringly walking away.

"I could do that…" He said thinking and Bella was surprised when he came to a firm conclusion so soon. "I can promise to do that."

Bella sighed, pleased to have won a small battle.

"I need to think about what happened. I didn't know you, I wasn't even there, but I also need to be certain it's something I can live with before I decide where we go from here. Right now I want you to take me back, because if I stay out here any longer with you, I'm probably gonna do something I'll regret." Bella was pleased for remaining true to herself and when she stood, she didn't mind that he lifted her into his arms. However, it was only with great internal strength that she didn't wrap herself around him, obliterating her mind with her body.

They roared through the trees in a pace that felt much slower than it had on the way out. When the cabin approached and she didn't feel the hot pant of his breath on her neck, she knew that he had taken his time, given himself the moments he needed with her before he accepted that he need to let her to go once again.

Standing on her own, she didn't pull away completely as he expected. For just as moment she stood looking at him, her chocolate eyes flickering over the stoic stance of his features. She was about to turn and walk away when she stopped herself, her fingers reaching out to caress the ridges of his arched cheekbones. "If I did decide to be okay with this, you need to let me in, because if you want me to be with you every moment of every day, I can't do that unless I know you care."

Having said enough, she left him standing along in the clearing just beyond the cabin door, his skin still tingling where her touch had been. He would never ask for her forgiveness, never expect it, but if she was willing to accept his actions, then maybe someday he thought, he could too.

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><p><strong>an: With thanks to my lovely beta Twiticulate... **

**xxx**


	27. Hide and Seek

The evening spun by softly as the cabin filled with a low buzz of intense conversation. Jacob it seemed had dropped his usual aggressive insistence that the girls required a constant vigilance and Bella was left alone to sit on the sofa, watching the unmoving door with expectation. She didn't need their words to tell her that Paul was still standing in the place where she'd left him; she could feel him out there, feel him tingling against her skin as she thoroughly considered everything she'd heard and been told.

In his own words he'd killed a girl, but in Leah's he'd only injured. At first it hadn't seemed like much of a difference, but if she was looking to a place of honesty, she knew that whether it was because she simply longed for it to so very much, it was. She wasn't willing to admit it to herself yet, but if she searched her conscience, she would find a certain amount of acceptance had already taken place. She could no longer trust her judgment, she'd known that for a while now, but it had never really affected anything beyond the boundaries of her life. Now she had to make sense of something that was bigger than her simple existence. Whether they'd considered it or not, her father was still investigating Emily's murder, and she was too aware of his acute drive for justice to sit back and relax with him on the case. He would find the truth, she knew it in the blood that ran through her veins and when he did, he would be knocking down their down, regardless of who and what they became in the depths of the forest.

Bella didn't know how close she was to the truth, how a hoard of men had gathered in the darkness of night on the boarders of La Push and Forks. Their leader was a man with a taut frown on his face, his irate commands landing on eager minds. After days of listening to his oldest friend, he had pushed aside his sentimentalities and was listening to that voice that had never steered him wrong before. Her letter had been a cry for help, he could see that now. His daughter was no fool and she knew he would contact her mother, follow up on her lead and find her missing. Billy had told him it was nothing more than a teenage girl gone a little wild, but not her, not his Bells.

Something in Billy's mannerism, perhaps the lack of surprise in his eyes when he'd told her of his loss told him he knew more. He'd been at his little house lamenting the disappearance of his daughter when Jacob had arrived with an injured girl on his arm and a look of guilt in his eyes. It had been the final straw and his conscience had been clear when he'd followed them back out into the forest, losing them less than two hundred feet later.

However, he wasn't going to be ignored, and he wasn't going to sit by idly any longer. That boy knew something of his daughter's whereabouts and tonight he was going to find him.

With a final rally they stepped over the boundaries onto the sacred lands, unknowingly already on the right path as they combed the forest in a wide arch. They were still two miles from the cabin, but their pace was steady and their leader focused, and with the moon held high in the sky they had all night to find their missing bounty.

"Jacob, do you hear that?"

Bella had been watching the boys ruffled demeanor for a whole five minutes now and with Paul still stoically placed outside, she wondered what the crisis could be now. Even she doubted that Edward would be stupid enough to start a self-imposed vigilante mission with four wolves surrounding her, and the way Jacob simply ignored Embry's question had piqued her interest.

Quil was rocking back and forth on his feet and Bella couldn't keep her eyes from fluttering in his direction. It was only a few hours earlier that Paul had lamented his lack of control, his lack of maturity to cope with the animal caged within, and with the tension rising and Quil's movements becoming more and more jagged, she wondered just how much apprehension was appropriate. She hated to admit it, but she was craving Paul and the security he unnaturally brought, and she doubted he would miss the pang in her emotions.

Paul didn't move an inch though, because unlike the rest of his pack, he knew who was coming and his arms were braced out in front of him, ready for the shackles he wore to thread themselves into something more physical.

"Go…" He said under his breath, knowing his Alpha would catch his words on the wind. "Go now and I'll tell the chief it was all me." There was no imploration in his tone, just a steady grip on reality. He needed to do now what he'd been unable to do before; above all keep the imprints safe.

But Jacob Black knew a misguided martyr when he saw one, and though he knew the response would be scathing, he took a deep breath and allowed the power of his pack to roll through him. It was now or never, the last moment when he could take the power of the land and use it as his ancestors had wished. He wasn't going to hide behind the excuses of age or readiness anymore and so he opened his mouth and felt the timbre of his words reach out to their unfocused minds.

"Paul, get in here and take Bella; take her anywhere you like, just keep her safe from them. Embry, take Leah, get as far away from here as you can; protect her. Quil, you're with me." Action turned into chaos as Paul slammed through the door, thunder on his face.

"What the fuck man? At least let her fucking decide, okay? Don't force her to be around me if that's not what she wants."

Bella felt grateful for his consideration, but it was also entirely unnecessary as she knew that neither of them would be at their best with the other to fear for. She stepped forward with deliberate steps and laid her hand down slowly on his shoulder. He turned sharply but she held her ground. "It's okay; I want to be with you."

He looked at her quizzically, wondering if she was trying to impart more than her simple meaning, but he found nothing on the surface. If he wanted to know what was going on in the depths of her mind, he would have to ask her outright.

He didn't need his Alpha to order him to keep her safe and though it angered him to do so, he gulped down his frustration knowing it was for the good of the pack as he grabbed her hand and entwined it with his. Paul could feel their eyes following his every move and he wanted to scream at them that he would never hurt her, that he would die before he did; but they were only words and actions, his actions, spoke much louder.

"Let's go." He growled and with one last hard look at the eyes scrutinizing them, he pulled her from the stuffy cabin that had been their awkward home for far too long.

"Where're we going?" She asked nervously, her legs jogging as he strode confidently out of the clearing on an unknown path into the night.

He didn't answer her at first, though he'd heard her question break through his senses, distracting him from listening to the voices echoing through the air around them. He wanted to turn around and stop this whole mess now before it began, but the strength of the order running through his head was too strong to ignore. It seemed the baby Alpha had finally grown up.

"I asked where we're going and I have a right to know you know!" She shouted, her voice raising to such a level that he stopped dead, his ears straining to hear whether they'd heard her impassioned plea.

"Stop yelling! I'm thinking, okay?"

"Well you said you had a place, right? Why don't you take me there?" He didn't know whether it was a foolish plan or otherwise, but it was the only location he knew like the back of his hand, the only thing that displeased him was its proximity to Sam's home. Lack of time made the decision for him and as he turned slightly to the east without permission he lifted her body from the ground, turning a slow jog into an uncatchable sprint.

The woods thinned slightly and his whole body welcomed the feel of home. He could taste the familiar air, vividly remember what it was like to wake up in a place where no-one ever stepped foot but him, and it brought a piece of tranquility to his mind. In his dreams, he had seen himself sharing this place with Bella, but there had been a little less fear in his imagination than the reality of the situation.

He sniffed the air cautiously before he allowed her out of his arms, but any scents in the area had blown away in the flora scented air, leaving behind nothing but the faded memories of rain and decay.

"Anything?" She asked quietly, drawing an appreciative look from her companion.

He didn't bother her with the words, telling her all she needed as he held her away from his body laid her feet carefully back on the floor.

"Thanks." She muttered and followed his silent steps into the dark home.

The first thing Bella understood when she walked into the shadowy living room was that she barely knew the man before her at all. Expecting something barren and disheveled, her mouth longed to drop open as he clicked on a table lamp which emitted a friendly yellow glow. The room was homely and neat, the deep chocolate sofa looking more inviting than anything she'd sat on in days. A thin layer of dust covered every available surface, but she could tell from the way everything seemed to have a place that this was only because he'd been otherwise occupied at the cabin in the woods.

"This is really nice." She said, unable to keep a little of the awe from her voice. But he only nodded in her direction, all too aware of the direction her mind had taken. He didn't know how to explain to her that his home was the only refuge he had and in turn he respected the space for the sanity it provided. Having her here with him had been beyond his hopes.

"So what're we running from this time?" She asked, trying to add an inflection of indifference into her tone.

Sighing, he didn't go to her, didn't offer her anything other than his assessing eyes. He didn't know how he would react when he told her, whether he would begin to feel more like her captor rather than her protector.

"Your father." He finally replied.

"Oh…."

Bella turned from his assessment and looked back the way they'd come. She didn't want him to see the guilt in her eyes, to misread something she couldn't control because he would never understand that her first reaction, her first thought, had been disappointment. She wasn't sure whether this meant that she didn't want to be discovered, but she did know that she didn't want Paul to be.

"Is he looking for me?" She asked, unable to ask what she really wanted to know.

"I don't know. You, me, Sam… maybe all of us." He responded, laying himself exposed with the weariness of his tone.

Without words she looked to him and patted the seat next to her. She had been thinking about what he'd told her, thinking about nothing else and there was a question she needed answering, a question he needed to answer for himself.

Paul hesitated for just a moment, but her eyes opened wide, hope pulling his body forward and next to her against any will of his own. He kept a small sliver of distance between them as the cushion beneath him compressed down, dust swirling up and away from him into the air.

"If it had been me in place of Emily…" He grunted angrily as she spoke and began to rise from the seat before he felt a soft hand clamping down on his arm. "No… just let me say this, please?"

Sighing heavily he slumped back down, throwing his head back in distaste and closing his eyes. He would listen, but only because she had asked him to, he would listen and then leave.

"If it had been me… what would you have done?"

Paul's hands closed into white fists and opened again, repeating the action over and over as he struggled against the images in his mind. "If they killed you, I would hunt them down, hunt each and every last one."

Bella knew she was treading a thin line, and with a great deal of thought, she pressed her body into his side, warmth and fragility meeting and comforting somewhere in the middle.

"But what if I didn't die? What if they only paralyzed me, what would you do then?" She pressed and when he began to tremble she took his hand in hers.

"Would you kill me? Save me from suffering?" She forced and with no more to offer other than something she wasn't willing to give just yet, she waited from him to find his answer.

"I could never do that to you… never." He said firmly, still not seeing what she was offering to him.

"So you would kill them and save me, but Sam did neither of those things. In fact, he did the opposite." Bella stated and Paul's eyes flicked open.

"I know everyone's says he's crazy or whatever, but doesn't that strike you as a little weird. I bet if I asked Jake those questions about Leah, he would say the same. You can't take responsibility for something you didn't do. Feel bad for hurting her all you like, but don't ever let me hear you call yourself a murderer again." Bella found her voice rising with passion and he lowered his head to meet her fire filled gaze.

"She was his imprint, B. He felt her pain and he spared me at the time, I don't pretend to understand a single thought the fucker had. But he's not done; he'll never be done, not until we all pay…." Bella felt herself shudder at his prophetic words, wondering if they were the insight into Sam's mind that Leah had all but promised her would never come her way. Except Sam wasn't the only thing to fear anymore, and without any knowledge of his intent, they had more pressing things to worry about. Like a father with a gun; a father with a big gun, a hoard of angry sympathizers, and the Washington state police database at his disposal.

Bella thought maybe Paul had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear them coming, but he simply hadn't thought to warn her. So when a door slammed open and a pair of mud covered bare feet lefts tracks all over the wooden floor, Bella let out a fear pitched scream.

Quil was too young and instinctual in his new existence to do anything other than phase at the awareness of an imprint in danger and Paul only just had enough time to push him forcefully back out of the door with a loud crack.

Bella's heart beat out of her chest as she watched torn fabric and pieces of door swirl around her in the air, peacefully spinning to the ground. It was a marked contrast to the chaos barely contained just outside the door. Their movements were too fast for Bella, but a streak of red drew her eyes and as they slowed and finally stilled, she ran to Paul, his arm slashed right down to the bone.

"I'm fine…" Paul panted, glaring in warning at the wolf who was laying with his nose in the dirt a good thirty feet from them. Bella fussed at his arm, but he only shook her away. "Seriously, it'll heal before you even have time to clean it and anyway we don't have time for this, we need to go, now! They're on their way here." Paul nodded sharply to Quil's submissive state and lifted Bella from the ground, his blood falling over her skin and clothes as he tried to hide a brief grimace.

Bella didn't ask where they were going as she buried her head into his chest, but when his feet slowed and she took in their new surroundings, she looked at him with confusion in her eyes; it was the last place she had expected him to take her.

Mesmerized she took in the familiar sight of her home, her face ready to allow a small smile on her lips when the front door opened with a low creak. Her thoughts immediately ran to her father but as a shadowy figure emerged, she looked up to Paul only to find his face devoid of all emotion.

"What took you so long?" The shadow asked and a familiar voice ran like ice over her skin.

* * *

><p><strong>an: Eeek, I hope you rally Charlie to hunt me down after leaving this here, but it had to be done... sorry.**

**Thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate, I hope the last minute additions aren't too much of a shock!**

**And a big thank you to all you readers, I don't say it enough but writing does become all the more enjoyable knowing so many of you are reading along, so thank you.**

xxx


	28. Fright Night

Looking back to Paul she waited, hoping that her fears weren't going to be confirmed, but his eyes didn't leave their mark. Stumbling backwards, Bella felt her gut wrench as Sam took a step forward, moonlight bringing a gaunt look to his once handsome face.

"I'm here to end this all." Paul stated clearly and though he reached out to bring Bella back to him, she was already two steps too far and before he could find her body with his fingers, she was being dragged backwards into the night.

Screaming wildly, Bella kicked, writhing angrily in the cold hands that felt like steel on her skin. She was forced to watch as Sam drew ever closer, his body prowling towards her wolf, his teeth bared with a warning and a threat.

"I suggest you don't make any stupid moves or you might end up like that one." Sam sneered and both Bella and Paul turned. It took Bella a moment to understand, to see the body hanging limply between two trees, blood pooling on the ground underneath him. She tried to look away, to forget the plea she'd found in Embry's eyes, but even when she closed her eyes, it lingered.

"Paul, just get her out of here, please?" Embry said weakly, the effort of speaking resulting in a thick spluttering cough that wrecked through his body, blood projecting into the air from the deep slashes through his lungs.

"How very noble of you." Sam jeered, turning to Paul conspiratorially. "Does she know that you once considered killing her yourself?"

Bella couldn't help but look to Paul for confirmation but she was too slow and just as her eyes fell to his, it was to see his body twist, morphing into a hurricane of feral anger. Her body was cast aside roughly and as soon as she hit the floor, she shuffled backwards, not caring that her arm was twisted painfully. She didn't want to watch as they descended on him as an unnatural pack of two, but she couldn't pull her eyes away and as sharp teeth bit down, she understood the power they held together that made them so formidable.

Immediately Paul's body slumped to the ground, weakened as venom muddied the thin blood coursing through his veins. He lashed out with the last morsel of energy he had, slashing his claws down over Sam's leering face.

"Tie him up." Sam ordered as he turned his cold eyes to Bella, one turning a ghastly shade of red as it pooled with blood. "Nice try." He said with deep sarcasm as he smiled in mockery to see her edging her way closer to the trees, retaking the distance between them in five large strides.

He wasn't gentle when he pulled her to her feet, his smile extending in appreciation as she sucked in a sharp breath to stop herself from shouting out in pain. He dragged her all the way across her back yard, her feet flailing behind her as the arm he held bore her entire weight. With a final pop as he tore her shoulder from its socket, he threw her against the backdoor which flew open under her weight.

Gasping in pain as tears tore down her blanched cheeks, she forced her eyes around the room. Not a single light was lit, but she still knew the space like the back of her hand and she hoped somewhere in the pit of her stomach that familiarity would give her an upper hand.

Foolishly she assumed from his size that his presence would be announced with a thundering of heavy footsteps, but when she felt a tepid breath on her ear, her whole body shirked away in revulsion. He was too fast she concluded, too fast and far too malicious for her to ever walk away from this alive, and without realizing it, she slumped back in defeat, giving up before the night had even really begun.

"I knew from the beginning you were too weak for him. You insult the magnificence of his wolf, Isabella Swan, with your pale skin and your fragile mind; you will never become what he needs." She told herself that he didn't know, that his words held no truth, but she found them curling under the edges of her skin, writing themselves malignantly all over her self-doubt.

"Sam!" Edward barked, and as Sam turned away from her sharply to face his accomplice, Bella felt his blood flick over her face. With disgust she tried to wipe the fluid from her skin, but she only succeeded in streaking crimson stains across her flesh.

Striding forward with a grace that didn't befit the situation, Edward knelt down on his heels taking in every torn and misused inch of her body.

"I'm sorry if he hurt you; he wasn't meant to do that." His voice slid over her skin and she understood that he had meant, unsuccessfully, to soothe. She told herself not to flinch as she watched his fingers reach out to touch the arm that was hanging loosely by her side, but the ice of his skin was unexpected and she howled out in self-inflicted pain.

"I can fix this, if you let me." The gentle lilt of his voice did nothing to encourage her, but before she could protest he had wrapped his fingers securely around her flesh and pushed her back into one piece. Iron exploded in her mouth and as her arm numbed into a pain that allowed her to think, she felt the torn edges of her tongue.

Edward's whole demeanor shifted in a flash, every single thawed muscle in his body freezing in an instant. Bella knew enough to trust her instincts, to press her body back into the cupboard door she was propped against, to swallow down the sickly blood and to keep her mouth firmly closed.

It felt like an eternity as they watched each other like living statues, predator and prey locked in a contradictory battle. Still, nothing could keep Bella's eyes from fluttering across the room when she heard a low moan, darkness and night hiding the source from her searching glare.

With one eye on Edward, she watched as his marble exterior seemed to soften at the edges, his chest rising with tentative breaths until he could taste clarity in the air. She didn't understand that Sam had done her a small favor leaving behind his mark, the lingering aroma of stagnant dog sitting like a fine silk over her skin.

"Come on, it won't be long now until the rest of the pack follow their dirty little noses here; and when they do, when I have the Alpha's word that I can take back what is rightfully mine, we can leave." Edward helped her to her feet, led her into the living room and sat her down in what she'd once known as her father's favorite chair. The touch of the fabric felt comforting under fingers and she knew that if she leaned back, she would almost be able to imagine his embrace.

From her new vantage point, she could see the muddied legs sticking out from behind the sofa, thick rope tightly binding her ankles together. Bella knew who's feet they were, knew just as she should have known when she found Embry hanging outsight and a low moan of pain sounding from within. It hurt to know that it wasn't the first time Leah had been abused by the monster standing in front of her, but she knew whether they walked away from this, or were wheeled away in a thick black bag, it would be the last.

"Edward, why are you doing this? I know you aren't bad! Jacob said as much himself, so you must know this is wrong." It was a long shot, appealing to the humanity she wasn't even sure he possessed, but she knew that Jacob believed it and right now it was all she had.

"I'm doing this because they were going to kill you, Bella, I've seen it." His eyes shone with sincerity and she forced herself to hold his gaze. "What does that mean, Edward? Were you there with them?" She asked, trying to ignore the potent possibility that Leah wasn't moving, that she hadn't made a sound in what felt like forever, that she could potentially already be gone.

"It's not supposed to happen like this; it's not supposed to be like this when I tell you." Edward seemed ruffled by her question, his hand going to his hair in a very human like imitation of frustration. Bella didn't know what to say, didn't know how to make sense of his gibberish, but assumed it had something to do with his insistence that they belonged together.

Edward stood suddenly, and then without warning, took his seat once again. Indecision was plainly written all over his face. Bella didn't know whether she preferred him here or gone, whether the obsession of Edward was better than the insanity of Sam. However, as Edward spoke again, his voice lowered to offer a hint of intimacy, she felt a glimmer of hope tug at her heart. "I can read minds."

Bella twisted sharply, instinctively and though her body screamed in protest, she met his eyes with hope. "So you can read mine then; you can see that this is all crazy Edward. They aren't trying to hurt me! They only want to protect me from Sam." Every memory of the pack flashed unrestricted though her mind and she tried to focus on the important things, the times when Sam had shown his true colors, but as each day passed by, she knew she had little concrete proof.

"You've been brainwashed, Bella. I couldn't trust what you know, even if I could see it." Edward replied, placing his hand on hers in a show of comfort which she threw off immediately.

"What do you mean? You just said you could read minds, my memories can't deceive, Edward." Bella all but shouted, the tension finally showing itself as she threw her body around in frustration.

"Whether you believe them or not is irrelevant, yours is the only mind I can't read." Edward said gingerly, sensing her emotions about to break.

"So you've read Sam's? You've seen what he did to his own imprint and you're still willing to work by his side." Bella's whole face twisted in revulsion and Edward watched her sharply, seeing the lies she'd been fed manifest themselves through her purity.

"Bella, Sam is an old wolf; his mind is as open to me as he chooses, but what he has shown me isn't what you've been told. I know you're talking of Emily Young, of her untimely demise, but it wasn't Sam who stole her last breath, Bella. It was the man who you found not so long ago hanging repentantly in the woods."

Bella shook her head, trying to stop the words she was being fed from weaving their way into her brain. Unlike those around her, she didn't have any unnatural gifts to show her the truth; she simply had her trust and her faith.

"Edward, you said yourself that he only shows you what he chooses. So how can you be sure what he does show you is real? Have you listened to the others? To Paul? To Leah? There were both there, you know. They were both there when Emily got hurt, when the whole thing started." Bella shouted out, desperation clawing at her voice and turning it into something whiney and unappealing.

"I listened to Jared as he fastened a rope around the tree. I listened as he jumped from the highest branch he could find, hoping it would break his neck to end his suffering. I listened as the last breaths slid from his lungs and you know what he thought about that whole time? He thought about how his paw had stretched out, how his claws felt when they sliced deeper into her skin. You think he could hide those things from me, how it felt to watch her die?"

Bella felt every muscle in her body pull away from his, every whisper of his words enveloping her cells with terror. They had lied; lied to her face and she had bought every word.

"So what now? Revenge? Is that why you're here?" Bella asked, the harsh truth leaving her whole body tingling with adrenaline.

"No, Sam is going to take control of the pack again, take back the role that is rightfully his. He's going to right the wrongs that have been done and I will take you away from here, from their violence and their vile ways, to the only place you can be safe." Edward surmised their future with ease and Bella found his words rattle her down to her core. The thought of leaving Paul, leaving Jacob, Embry, and Leah to Sam left her feeling like her heart had been ripped clean from her chest. Still, as she looked around a home that had once held the illusion of security and warmth, she didn't know where she had left to turn, who she had left to trust.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you as always to my wonderful beta Twiticulate. **

**A day earlier than usual... but I'm going awol tomorrow and I didn't think you'd want to wait until Monday! **

**See you all again on Wednesday. xxx**


	29. Dawn of the Dead

Bella tried to picture Paul's face, to find the sincerity she could remember as he laid out his soul for her to judge. There was little doubt that Edward would do anything to finally have her by his side, but he also seemed to believe the words he spoke. Finding herself at a mental impasse, she tried to concentrate on the things she could control, because right or wrong, it was a certainty that she would never be happy by Edward's side.

"Edward, I need to check on Leah, to make sure that she's still breathing." Bella said calmly and was about to stand on unsteady feet when his words stopped her. "She's fine, I can see her dreams." Bella watched as Edward looked beyond her shoulder, his eyes unfocused as he pillaged Leah's subconscious against her will.

A little spark of courage slipped into the room as Bella's eyes fell on her fallen friend, a simple plan taking shape in her mind. "Edward, you said that we belong together, that Alice had seen us?" Bella worked hard to keep her voice steady, fear and hope tugging her in opposing directions.

"I did, Isabella, and I know you doubt me, but it won't be long before you see these louts for what they are, how they've cast a spell of lies over your innocent mind." Edward looked longingly into her eyes and she shuddered, realizing she was right; he believed every word he spoke.

"They lied to me, Edward. They lied to me from the very beginning and they've been lying to me ever since, but I need to know why they did that…" Bella trailed off, purposefully looking to the floor to hide the deception in her eyes, hoping he would see it as a passive countenance.

She could sense his body drawing closer, feel his approach like frozen fire. Subduing the adrenaline that was cascading into her heart, she lifted her head, meeting his eerie, ethereal eyes with untapped hope.

"What can I do?" He asked, his hand reaching out to close the space between them. Bella held each muscle still, held in the contortion of disgust she felt under his touch. Opening her mouth to speak, she readied herself, knowing she was taking a risk to manipulate the only person who was keeping her safe.

"I need to speak to Leah, Edward. I need you to find out from her mind why they used me?" Bella's words were a whispered plea spoken only for him and probably would have worked In her favor were it not for the deep, dark chuckle which travelled all the way from the back yard to their ears, breaking her web of intoxication.

Turning her eyes to the backdoor, Bella shuddered to see Sam's gargantuan form fill the frame, his eyes glinting dangerously in the shadowed light.

"Little girl, you think Edward doesn't see your lies for what they are? That he doesn't taste your manipulation in the air? He's been around for decades and you hope to fool him with your school girl charm. If I decide to keep him alive, rest assured Paul will hear how quickly you turned, how easy it was for you to betray yourself to a leech."

Bella heard his words and felt her hope fall, unable to keep her eyes from turning back to Edward, to see whether she'd been so foolish once again. However, she was too late to see any glimmer of honesty and all she found was the mask of a monster, emotion trapped behind a statuesque façade.

"If you'd like, I'll tell you all about how your precious wolf thought about throwing you away once too; how he truly felt when he first saw the weak little girl the Elders had chosen for him, punishment for his failure to protect those that needed his strength." Sam strode angrily into the room as he spoke, and it was only Edward's outstretched arm that held him at bay, spittle flying from his mouth, only just missing her shaking body.

Pressing herself back as far as she physically could, she watched as Edward shuffled Sam back into the corner of the room, his thin frame hiding the strength of his kind as he moved the irate man with seeming ease.

"If I have to tell you one more time that she is not to be harmed…" Edward's voice held a crystal calm clarity, but Sam didn't care for his inferior's instructions as he pushed the boy away, his eyes turning black with ferocity. "If I was you, I would simply be grateful that I haven't killed her already. You've done your job by luring them here and what I decide to do with my pack is now my own business, the pale face included."

"She's not yours." Bella felt Edward's tone as it crept to her ears, sliding with a deathly undercurrent all the way to the depths of her toes. She didn't want to be claimed by either one of these beasts, but for the moment she realized she'd been forgotten and as slowly and cautiously as she dared, she slid from her chair, making her way with painful patience to a pair of legs and what she hoped would be her still living friend.

"Not yet, but once Jacob Black see's he has no choice, once he steps down and hands over my pack, then she will be mine and you will be begging me for her safety, not demanding it from me like a whiney child." Sam's words dripped with the wretched smile that he wore, dried blood caking to his lips where the wounds Paul inflicted had long since healed.

Bella reached Leah as she heard deep growls rumble from their chests and against all her usual reserve, she prayed that they would kill each other, that whatever megalomaniacal ideas they held would lend themselves to claws and teeth, tearing them apart for good.

Her hands reached out tentatively and pressed down on cold flesh, the bruises and blood on her body so thick that she didn't exactly know where her touch would cause the least pain. Leah had been beaten so severely that when she did find a pulse it was so weak she had to convince herself it was there at all. Time, it seemed, was not on her side and as Bella took one last look at the bloodied body of her friend, she whispered out a promise to return and then crept to the backdoor. It was a choice of salvation and one she hadn't made lightly, but in the moment she knew it held the most hope for their survival.

Edging her way to the door, she could almost taste the freedom on her lips, feel the sweet breeze on her tongue. Her fingers reached forward to grasp the frame to the backdoor when a bellowing voice stilled her heart and her movements.

"You fool. You stupid, idiotic, childish fool. You think she loves you? She can't even stand to be in the same room as you." Sam cried and before she could tell herself that it's was a pointless choice; she turned her head to see both men watching her attempt to escape.

Taking a blind step backwards, she fell unceremoniously out into the night, her injured arm collapsing under her as it caught the strain of her weight. The judder of pain was too much to bear and as she watched their approaching forms through tear stained vision, she willed herself to move.

Her legs scrambled wildly in the mud, but it was too little too late, and as Sam yanked her upwards and to her feet, she watched as Edward merely watched her with interest. Whatever had happened while her back had been turned had been pivotal, and she searched her mind for any hint of the new development.

"Here… I'll show you how much she loves you." Sam snarled and dragging her with him, allowing Edward to follow of his own recourse as they made their way to the line of trees forming a perimeter around the back garden.

Embry's body was still hanging from the trees and she assumed from the way blood was still trickling to the ground beneath him, Edward's venom was coursing through his system too. She knew he should have healed by now, but the pink flesh of his insides was still on display and though she told herself not to look, she couldn't help her eyes moving to the body strung up neatly next to him.

Their sibling blood ran together on the ground beneath them, collecting as one to stain the earth. Whatever they had done to Paul, whatever wounds they had inflicted, were hidden from Bella's eyes. His shirt had been torn from his body, dirt and dried blood covered his chest, but as she looked down, she followed the lines of fresh red as they created new rivers of blood down his thick legs. A terror filled possibility entered her mind and as new tears left trails of clear skin on her face, she longed to never know the truth.

"You have a choice Bella Swan…" Sam whispered in her ear, his foul breath coating her skin as she jerked her head away from her proximity to him. "You choose Edward and I'll let you walk away with him. I won't harm a single hair on your head and if you belong together as he claims you do, then you will be blissfully happy forever." Sam's voice rose and fell, dancing in joy over whatever macabre plan had been conjured for his sick pleasure this time.

Bella trembled under the weight of his words, because she knew what was coming next. "Or you choose Paul, and I promise not to hurt him. You'll lose the protection of your savior no doubt…" Sam's fingers reached out, turning her face him to him. "…but I…." Bella shuddered as his forefinger rubbed angrily over her lip, pulling down the wet skin with a gleam of pleasure in his eyes. "…get to do…" She felt bile rise in her throat as his fingers crept lower, the thick heat of his touch rolling through her stomach with revulsion. "….whatever I want…" She swallowed thickly as his hand caressed the top of her breasts and the rest of his words were forgotten as he threw his head back in delighted laughter, the sound coiling dangerously through the night.

Her wolf hung unmoving in the trees, his head lay limply against his chest. She watched the life drip out of him, resting finally on the forest floor. There was no choice, she decided, no way that she would win. This game had been concocted with only a sick pleasure in mind and they were all here, playing their parts for his amusement.

Forcing her shoulders up, she wiped away the tears that were still falling. "No." Bella said firmly, her voice clear and strong, even as she stood weak and wounded.

"No?" He replied incredulously as he began to circle her, his teeth bared as though any moment he might pounce.

"I'm not making a choice." She said, trying to force a little of the ferocity he exuded so effortlessly.

"Well that's where you're wrong, little Swan. You will make a choice, or I'll have Edward here kill Embry." Bella turned her whole body as he paced around her over and over, his path confusing her mind, leaving his words lingering in the air until finally they reached a place of comprehension.

Shaking her head wildly, she couldn't find the words, couldn't bring herself to open her mouth, lest the scream that was building to a crescendo inside her should escape.

"You see, I knew you'd see it my way in the end. So, what's it to be: Edward or Paul, Paul or Edward? Not really much of a choice, now is it?" Sam rubbed his hands together in glee and Bella looked beyond him to find Edward watching on, his eyes narrowed, waiting to hear her choice.

"Please, Edward, don't you see what he's doing now? You don't need to be a part of this. Do you think I'll ever be able to look you in the eye? To fall in love with you, knowing you stood here and did nothing? Do you think I can be with you, knowing you acted like a coward?" Bella spat her words out, each one a desperate final plea before she threw away her life and gave herself up as a dog's plaything. Her focus was so heavily on Edward that she didn't see Sam coming, didn't see his hand as it flew through the air and smashed heavily against the side of her face.

Pain exploded in her jaw and as she fell to the ground, clutching her face, she curled into a tight ball. Growls erupted around her and though she longed to open her eyes and see the chaos surrounding her, her body was simply too weak. Even the unnatural screech of metal twisting and tearing wasn't enough to rouse her mind. Bella's energy was too depleted to do anything but fade, and as she fell into a black abyss she heard a weak voice in her head telling her to let go.

It couldn't have been more than minutes later when she felt angry hands shaking her, pulling her aggressively back to her feet. She swayed unsteadily, dazed by the impromptu awakening. It only took his breath on her skin, his callous voice in her ear, to bring her jolting back into reality.

"I didn't give you permission to sleep, little girl..."

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my lovely, wonderful beta Twiticulate**

**For those of you who take time to read/leave reviews/alert this story, thank you so much. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate it... xxx**

** See you all again on Sunday... or maybe sooner if I get my arse in gear and sort the next chap out to worthy standards! x  
><strong>


	30. Monster

Opening her eyes, Bella tried to ignore the roll of nausea that turned her stomach. The pain that seemed to come from every inch of her body was enough to leave her shaking under his hold. Whether she wanted to accept his help or not, Sam's grip on her arm was the only reason she was still standing.

"Where's Edward?" She asked, her eyes trailing over the carnage that had once been her backyard. Blood, debris and chunks of something pale lay everywhere, shining an eerie blue in the moonlight. It took all the strength she had to keep her eyes from reaching out to Embry and Paul, but she needed to hold herself together for just a little bit longer.

"Well let's take a tour, shall we?" Dragging her along by his side, Sam spoke in unfitting hilarity as he pointed out the chunks she'd previously been unable to identify. "Well, he's here, oh and here, and look… there's another piece. I think that may have been his elbow. What do you think, Isabella?" He leered down at her and though it wasn't the worst thing that had happened all evening, she could feel her chest begin to restrict as panic finally set in.

Where was Jacob? She screamed in her head. Where was Quil? Or her father? Where was anyone who could do anything to put a stop to this night?

Sam found her struggle amusing and though he let her slump to the floor at his feet, he did nothing to aid her as she wheezed beneath him.

"Enough!" He bellowed when he grew tired of her weakness, so deep into his quest for retribution that she was no longer a person to him, more of a tool to punish and exact his revenge upon. As such he still needed her, and though it pained him to do so, he stepped away and watched her from a distance as her body heaved up and down. Finally, just as he was thinking he might actually have to find another way to get what he wanted, she passed out; her body taking back control when the fragility of her mind became too much.

"Figures." He muttered derogatively, leaning back against a tree to admire his handiwork. He counted down the drips of blood falling from Paul's body as he watched and listened to the changes in her body and when her heart reached a beat, unbeknownst to her, matching her wolf, he decided it was time to wake her once again.

Bella didn't react this time, didn't need clarity to understand that the man bruising her flesh with his careless touch was far from a friend. Instead of questions, she watched him, trying to figure out her place in all this. But when he only lingered at her side expectantly, her impatience and pain forced her mouth.

"Why did you kill him? You needed him…didn't you?" Bella guessed, doubting Sam would be able to subdue both Jake and Quil by himself, but hesitating just slightly to be so presumptuous.

"He served his purpose." Sam replied nonchalantly, and were he not holding her in his steel grip, she could almost picture him picking dirt from his nails, bored with her and everything she was being forced to endure.

"What about me? Why haven't you killed me too?" She asked, too tired to understand that her question was bold, daring almost.

"You still don't understand do you? You think I did all this so I could spend another fifty years telling school boys not to piss on trees?" Sam snorted, angered by her lack of guile. She couldn't help but flinch as he shook her, her fear saving her momentarily from another physical attack as his wolf was molified by her show of respect.

"So you lied to Edward about your reason for doing this? What else was a lie?" Bella asked and this time Sam couldn't stop himself as he threw her back down to the ground, no longer wanting to soil his hands holding up something so feeble.

"Edward believed what he wanted to hear. He was desperate and too stupid to think for himself. Not only that, but he was a leech and an utter fool to trust his enemy. I can't even begin to tell you the amount of times he willingly turned his back on me. He relied on his gift too much, his arrogance, his foolish belief in his omniscience made him weak, but I wasn't going to wait around for your pleas to finally make it through that stupidity of his."

Bella desperately wanted to curl up on the ground, to give in and just accept whatever torture he was eventually going to inflict, but his words seemed important. If she was honest, she wanted to know why her body was screaming in pain, why her wolf and best friend were hanging lifeless from the trees, why any of this was happening at all.

"You want to know a secret? I don't think he even loved you, I think he was just obsessed. That stupid little sister of his told him you were the one and it blinded him to everything else. He didn't even stop to think what it meant that you were already bound to his enemy. He didn't bother to question the things he saw in people's minds, things which when you are dealing with wolves were easily the thoughts of others." As Sam spoke, Bella couldn't help but notice how his focus turned more and more to Paul, how his eyes would narrow and his hands shake with ever increasing violence.

"So you lied to him, showed him just enough that he thought they were hurting me, lying about the imprint and…?" Bella spoke simply hoping he would focus back on her, but her choice came at a price and as he turned towards her as if remembering she was there, she felt her body tense as he crossed the space between them at a speed she couldn't fathom. Pulling her into the air, she knew these moments could be her last, knew without a doubt that he could kill her and feel not a shred of remorse. Knowing this gave her the courage to speak, the courage to pursue her thoughts. "What about Jared? Was that a lie too or did you force him to kill Emily, like the coward I know you are?"

She didn't understand that the weightlessness she felt was her body flying through the air, at least not until she slammed down to the ground twenty feet from where she'd previously lay slumped. Her body was too inflamed and broken to recognize where the pain started and ended, and as she moaned loudly, neither of them noticed two silhouettes dancing through the moonlit trees.

"I'm tired of your stupid questions. You interrupt me again and I'll kill Embry; I'll snap his neck before you even finish your first word." Sam growled and though pain tore through her body, she pulled herself upwards on her good hand, nodding with wary consent until he finally looked away.

Bella held herself in as he walked towards both Paul and Embry and though it took every ounce of reserve to do it, she held in her cry of warning, her shout of anguish as he tore the ropes that bound Paul to the trees, sending him hurtling to the floor like a giant broken doll.

Falling flat on his face, she could see what they had done. The flesh of his back was torn open, his spine sliced with clawed marks and this time Bella couldn't hold in her response. Her whole body shuddered, the sobs that had been building letting loose as she broke down, her body heaving up and down in pain and terror.

"It looks pretty, doesn't it? All that red and white? It's a fitting punishment really, don't you think?" Sam mused maniacally.

As he kneeled down in front of her, he gripped her tear stained face, raising it so she was forced to look at her wolf's shredded back. Instinctively, she closed her eyes, hiding the macabre sight in a self-imposed abyss.

"Oh, so you don't want to see him all broken? I felt the same way once, but it didn't stop your precious wolf from tearing up what was mine. It didn't stop him from killing her simply because he was too weak to hold himself back." Sam's hard finger pressed down on her eyelids and though she tried to pull her head back from his touch, his grip was far too strong.

"Open them, or I'll tear them off myself." He instructed in a hard whisper and immediately she did as he asked, finding his malignant eyes staring blankly through hers.

"How do you think he'll feel when I do the same to you? Do you think he'll beg for you, beg for your life as he watches you die, too wounded to help you?" Bella could feel his fingernails pressing deep into the thin flesh of her neck as he held her head high, and though she had no proof, she knew her blood was already falling from his touch.

"Leave her alone, Sam, and I'll give you what you want." His voice was like a soft summer breeze, the perfect antidote to the terror of the night and just for a moment Bella closed her eyes and allowed herself to believe he was real, to imagine that she was no longer alone. However, the reality was a harsher truth and as he tore deeper into her flesh with his jagged nails, she felt her mind give in. She knew that no manner of shaking would wake her up this time; no amount of punishment would bring her back from the thick blanket of darkness.

Her eyes fluttered closed just as Sam's fingers were pried from her neck and she fell backwards, forgotten for the moment as Jacob hauled back the older wolf, dragging him lifelessly away from his victims.

"You took your time, Black. Another moment and I just might have taken off her head." Sam taunted, feeling the power of the young Alpha try and push through his years of solitude. Sam couldn't remember how it felt to be under the control of an Alpha, how it felt to be tethered to something so powerful. The natural pull wasn't something he welcomed and without much effort he pushed back against the pressure, letting the young Alpha know he wasn't going to be taken so easily.

"You would welcome me into your pack after I've forced a false guilt on one of your brothers, sending him to the trees to find his peace? You would welcome me after I destroyed my imprint and left yours to die?" Sam mocked, pushing back against Jacob's hold and rearing to his full height, challenging his dominance.

"You think you can take me in and train me like a common dog, train me to obey you? You think there is anything good left in this body?" Sam scoffed, stepped forward, standing toe to toe with the only man he respected enough to fall to.

Jacob didn't say a word, and though Sam was too busy trying to find his finality, Jacob was half listening to the only wolf he had left standing do his bidding, pulling away the lives that he needed to be safe before he was willing to commit to anything.

"So you killed your imprint when you could have saved her?" Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow as Sam faltered slightly, his eyes betraying the truth of his actions with a sway of guilt.

"She wasn't meant for me; the Elders brought her to me as a punishment for accepting the leeches so close to our land, for bringing danger to our people. Otherwise, why would they give her to me only to take her away again?" Sam seemed almost to be pleading with Jacob for some explanation, for acceptance that what he'd forced himself to believe was true.

"They were punishing me for betraying them, for giving myself to another when my path was already chosen, punishing me for my impatience." Sam continued, and though it reviled Jacob to find any commonality with the insanity of the elder wolf, he found himself feeling something akin to pity rise from his gut.

"What if she wasn't punishment?" Jacob asked pushing aside the weak emotions as he looked around at the blood stained land, the bodies still torn and twisted where so much life had ebbed away. His pack was in ruins, the imprints bloodied and beaten beyond recognition and he was forced to stand here and rationalize with a man who had clearly abandoned his soul.

Except Sam wasn't willing to accept another scenario, one where the blame and his choices weren't as clear as he needed them to be to rest easy at night.

"What if it was your chance to be happy? What if you were wrong, all of you? What if her injuries weren't even that bad? Tell me Sam, did you have a doctor take a look at her? Did you bother to even find out, or did you just make an assumption?" Jake could feel his anger rising as he tried to hold himself back for just a little bit longer. He understood that time wasn't necessarily on their side, but this wasn't something that could be left for the Chief to clear up, and he knew it wouldn't be long before the search party that had brought about the beginning of the end would come full circle.

Instead of deflating as Jacob expected, Sam's shoulders seemed only to rise as his heart pounded more steadily in his chest. "She was gone! You wouldn't question me if you knew what it felt like to feel your imprint's lifeless body in your arms. You would understand everything I've done and I would challenge you not to seek revenge. But then, I guess we'll see how you feel tomorrow, little Alpha, when perhaps you'll face the same fate as I did."

Jacob tried not to allow his mind to linger on Leah, on the possibility that she might be gone. He refused to believe he would ever become the monster standing in front of him, a monster who had no conscience over taking the lives of his own people. Too many souls had suffered because of one event which had spiraled out of control; that was still spiraling this very second.

"It was a mistake, one which you should have spent your wisdom and your power trying to fix. But you were too blind to see that, weren't you? You were too hell bent on what the Elders did or didn't want that you forgot she wasn't even gone yet." It was the only scenario that Jacob could find any comprehension in, any possibility other than that Sam had simply always been destined for something so horrendous. Looking at the shell of a man in front of him, Jacob could find no guilt in his eyes, no remorse or understanding that there had been another path than the one he'd chosen.

"How do I save them? How do I stop that poison from killing them?" Jacob spat out, tired of words and desperate to be done with the craziness that had taken over their lives. It was the last salvation for the man in front of him, the very last reason to keep him alive as Quil finally cleared those that he could from immediate danger.

Sam could feel the end, feel the pressure of the Alpha as he reared up and with one last stand he smiled widely, showing his teeth to a man and wolf, both clearly on the edge of their control. Knowing the words would be his last, he spoke them with a sense of satisfaction.

"You can't."

The very last thing Jacob saw before he let go was the rise and fall of the old wolf's shoulders taking his last breath as a man, comprehension in his eyes as he riled up against the Elders of the land, all vestiges of conversation over as he pitted forward, man taking his final stand as beast.

Jacob didn't know as he rolled into his spiritual flesh if he was doing the right thing, didn't know if his conscience could bear such a weight, but he also understood that he was the only one who could do it, the only one who could rid his land, his family, his pack and his imprint of this monster. As acceptance rolled through his body, he rose up, a howl of retribution in his throat as he bore down on the wolf in front of him, his teeth tearing into a fur lined throat, tasting the first drop of tainted blood.

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate and to all you readers. I'll see you all again in a few days time. Until then...xxx**


	31. The Ruins

Quil lingered on the perimeter of the property, placing himself between the two remaining bodies and a fight he understood he simply had no part of. His neck rolled to the side, following the tumbling blood soaked fur of his Alpha, happy that for now at least he had the upper hand. Judging from way Sam's vicious growls had softened to snarls, he knew it wouldn't be long now and as he raised his snout to sniff experimentally at the air, he tried to shove aside the feeling that what Jacob was about to do was wrong. Even in a different form he could still feel the sticky, thick fluid that had coated both Bella and Leah on his skin, the crimson stains covering their bodies too plentiful to see the girl beneath. It still felt wrong, but deep down he knew there was just no other way.

With one final slash of Jacob's claws, Sam's lifeless form slumped to the floor. The air around them became eerily still and feeling it would likely be necessary, Quil phased back to his human form, not bothering to cover the fact that he was standing in the backyard of Forks' resident Chief of Police completely naked.

Jacob prowled around the fallen wolf, his tail swishing low over the ground as he confirmed his kill. He could already feel Quil's anticipation in the air, and he knew there wasn't time to linger, but he couldn't help himself. He just needed a few minutes to reassemble himself into the Alpha, the one they counted on, whether they realized it or not, to get them out of this alive.

His mind felt weak, his soul heavy with the hand he'd been dealt. For a moment he wanted to turn and run, to gather Leah in his arms and bury his burden in her comfort, but instead he forced his fears to still. After a deep breath he shook out his body and he, like Quil, didn't bother wasting any emotions feeling self-conscious regarding his nudity.

"Now what?" Asked Quil, his voice sounded quite loud in the silent space.

Rolling his right shoulder until it popped, Jacob trailed his eyes over the land, trying to think of a way they could get out of this mess without suffering through an unknown amount of jail time.

"The girls?" Jake asked, his question purposefully ambiguous. He desperately wanted to get his hands on Leah, to assess each bruise, each cut, and each fragment of pain she was enduring. However, he couldn't allow himself to break down and he knew from the pictures he'd seen in Quil's mind that he needed to stay away.

"They're safe for now." Quil responded, his tone somber as he kneeled down by Embry's body, the labored breathing of his old friend only serving to ignite his anger.

"Okay. Do you think you can get Embry out of here?" Jake asked, looking down at the other two souls laying out cold on the land, one still clinging desperately to life.

"Yeah, but where are we taking them?" Quil asked, knowing the place he'd left the girls in the woods wouldn't be adequate for anything more than a brief stop gap.

Jacob truly didn't know what to do and without the luxury of time to dwell on indecisions, he decided he would think as they worked. He looked back over at Quil, who was already lining up Embry's body, ready to support his weight in his arms.

"Don't know yet." Jake replied shortly, a plan of a different kind forming in his mind. "Just get Embry out of here and then come back to help me with Paul. We need to move Sam too, but I'm less worried about that right now. For now, we just need them all away from here and then I'll figure out where to go from there." Jacob's voice carried a clear sense of confidence and authority, something he was struggling with internally. He didn't feel secure about anything that had happened in the past twenty four hours, and the only thing he could deal with right now was getting his pack assembled again in one place.

Quil didn't need to respond; he simply lifted the body of his friend carefully into his arms and walked away into the night, leaving Jacob alone.

Taking one final deep breath, Jacob hurled Sam's body over his shoulder and took off in the opposite direction towards a cave deep in the forest. His feet took him hard and fast and under the weight of the man who was yet to leave them at peace, he found his breath thickening, unshed tears stinging his eyes as he finally understood that he had taken a life.

The cave was cold and isolated, and though he knew it would never serve to be a final resting place, it still took all of his courage to leave the body of the elder wolf there, exposed and bloodied on the foreign land. He wouldn't lower himself to the things Sam had forced him to endure, but neither would he allow the guilt which was curling at the edges of his stomach to expand and take shape.

Arriving back at the clearing, Quil could hear his Alpha's heart beat clear as day, the resonant pounding chanting a much needed and soothing familiarity to his mind. His eyes swept quickly over the devastation, not stopping to linger on any one thing for too long, but noticing that Sam's body was already gone. It was only when the backdoor of the Swans' house swung open and Jacob exited with a grimace on his face did Quil step out of the tree line, drawing his Alpha's attention instantly.

"You ready?" Jacob asked, taking the yard in healthy eager strides.

"When you are." Quil responded, his forehead ruffled slightly in confusion.

"You take his legs, and try not to move him too much." Jacob ordered, though from the looks of Paul's mangled back, he wasn't sure if much more damage could be done.

Paul's dead weight was harder to hold between them than either Sam or Embry had been individually, but their feet were sure as they left the night's carnage behind. They were already a good hundred feet into the blackened woods when Jake's voice commanded Quil to stop.

"Put him down on two."

Quil didn't question the order, and when Paul's body was once again lying on the earth, Jacob turned back towards the house and spoke with his back turned. "Wait here, okay?" It wasn't an order, but Quil felt no inclination to move, no draw to the place he personally hoped to never see again.

Jacob had only been gone seconds when he returned, but something in his eyes, something harrowing told Quil that the seconds had been spent doing something that hadn't come with ease. They remained locked eye to eye for what could only have been a few seconds longer, when a strange popping sound drew Quil's gaze back over Jacob's shoulder.

He only understood when a sweet acrid scent of burning vampire flesh hit his nostrils, following rapidly but a loud explosion.

"You burnt down the Swans' place?" Quil asked incredulously, his mouth slightly open in surprise.

"It was either that or I tell him about them, about us, about everything. Hell, I still might have to." Jacob lamented, actually feeling slightly relieved that the blaze seemed to be burning with such intensity.

Even from a hundred feet away they could feel the heat pour through the trees, and as a groan broke out from beneath their eye line, they quickly refocused on the task in hand. Gingerly picking up their fallen soldier, their steps took on a more urgent rhythm as they pushed further and further back into the abyss.

"You figured out where we're going yet?" Quil asked, not wanting to push Jacob, but knowing they really didn't have time to linger anywhere for long. Not only was the night cold, but he could feel a change in the air, something he knew normally preceded a dramatic down-pouring.

"We could go back to my place?" Jacob thought aloud, but he was already shaking his head. The last time he'd shown up there with Leah in tow the Chief had been lingering, and now that his own house was uninhabitable, it wouldn't surprise Jacob in the slightest if his father offered up their roof to cover his head.

"How about Sam's old place?" Quil asked, having seen the isolated house in the memories of the pack. In theory it seemed like the perfect place, but Jake would bet his meager life savings that it was on the Chief's hit list.

"There isn't anywhere we can go on the rez that the Chief won't know about or think to check." Jacob concluded, the puzzle hurting his frazzled mind far more than it should.

"Okay, but the Chief just wants Bells right?" Quil asked innocently, his intention purely to understand what they should be hiding from.

"Yeah, but do you want to be the one to explain her injuries to him?" Jake asked rhetorically. It was up to Bella how she dealt with her father, and he wasn't about to put her in the line of fire before she was ready.

"I guess we could go to my place; my mom is out of town for the rest of the week." Quil offered reluctantly. He knew his mom would erupt if he so much as ate his lunch in the living room, never mind brought home a pack of bloody, muddied bodies.

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked, knowing full well the reputation Mrs. Ateara had on the rez, not only for the iron hand that she governed her house with, but the leash she kept on her son's neck.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Quil sighed, the scent of smoke washing away under the thick, nauseating aroma of blood, both new and old.

It took three trips, and a lot of stealth to get the bodies of his broken pack into Quil's home. Only when the door was shut and the wreckage of the night lay out like a red carpet before him, did Jacob take a shuddering breath of comprehension. He had been so intent of getting everyone out of the night, that he hadn't really allowed himself to believe that they wouldn't make to daybreak as one.

Now that the outside dangers were put to rest, and his pack was reunited, he could feel the reality of the situation slam into him. The heartbeats he heard in the room weren't vibrant enough, the feel of his imprint and his wolves in his mind were weak and he just didn't know where to begin.

"Quil, go get the doc and Sue Clearwater." Jacob said finally, snapping out of doubt into action.

After taking one step, Quil hesitated, looking back over his shoulder for confirmation. "Sue Clearwater?"

"She used to be a nurse and helped out a lot when we were little and my Dad needed help." Jacob muttered. He didn't want to move anyone fearing he might cause more damage, but he couldn't deal with the sheer volume of the blood and exposed flesh in front of him on his own.

The reservation doctor arrived first and after looking over the four bodies laid out in a macabre line on the floor, he lifted his head and slowly looked over Jacob Black was his eyes narrowed.

"Do I want to know what happened?" He asked and Jacob followed his eyes back to his friends, his brothers and his life.

Shaking his head, he knew he would have to give up a little, but he just wasn't ready to vocalize it all. He knew the day would come, and soon, when the Elders of the tribe would want a full account, but it wasn't going to be today.

"I don't know what they did to the girls, but I think both Embry and Paul were bitten by a leech." Jacob supplied, feeling a flourish of inner strength when Quil came to stand by his side, offering his silent support.

"I need you to get me a bowl…" All three heads turned as a small voice gasped from the front of the house. The doctor turned to look at Jacob expectantly, and remembering his place in all this, Jacob swept towards the dark entryway, holding his hand out for Sue Clearwater to take.

Her voice was low enough that it was only for his ears, but he couldn't help noticing the tears that were already falling gently down her soft face. "Sam did this?" She asked, already aware of the chaos that had been erupting around them from her husband's position as an Elder on the tribe's council.

Jacob brought her into the low light of the room, her hand gripping to his with a strength that surprised him. It was a sight he would've rather shielded her from, but he needed help and had so few places to turn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to ask." Jacob mumbled.

Sue didn't linger by his side for long and after taking in a long, deep breath in to steady her body, she lifted her shoulders high and rolled up her pajama sleeves to her elbows.

"Quil, go and make sure all the beds upstairs have fresh sheets on them. Jacob, go bring us a bowl of water and some towels, anything to clean up some of this blood so we know what we're dealing with." Sue's voice was sharp and authoritative and both complied easily. Jacob found himself secretly relieved to feel a small weight rise from his shoulders, understanding she was taking a piece of his burden away.

The bowls of water turned quickly from clear liquid to a deep, blushing red and Jacob found himself making endless trips to the kitchen. Each new bowl of red brought a thickness of sorrow that he couldn't seem to escape as he washed away his own mistakes, watching them swirl away from him. As the morning light grew, so did his guilt and though Sue looked to him more than once with a reprimand in mind, she kept her lips drawn tight, warring with herself over how much to push the boy who was shouldering the weight of men.

"Jake, where do you want the girls?" Sue asked softly, knowing one was his imprint and the other the daughter of the Chief of Police. Both girls were carrying scars that might never heal, but they would wake soon enough. Even though they had been sewn back together in places, bandages and casts both came off in time.

"Are they both okay?" He asked, desperate to hear anything positive. He knew both he and Sue were suffering more mentally than physically, the darkness they had drawn around themselves a practice of self-preservation.

"They will be, sweetie. They both need rest and when the doctor has a chance, he'll give them a second look, okay?" It took all his strength not to insist that his imprint be looked over now, that she be healed before the rest, but he wore the badge of Alpha with a new appreciation, one which made sacrifices for the good of his pack.

"I'll take them upstairs." Jacob said quietly, stepping over Quil's sleeping body to stand over Sue, his hand resting on her shoulder for both support and comfort.

Both Embry and Paul had been taken upstairs hours ago, and worryingly or not, hadn't been seen since. Every once in a while, the doctor would ask for an implement they couldn't provide and a weary discussion would ensue to find an alternative.

Long after the girls had been placed side by side in Quil's own king sized bed, they gathered on the landing, faces worn, eyes tight with desperate possibilities that Jacob wasn't willing to accept just yet.

"I don't know what else I can do for them, son. They need a hospital or at the very least proper medical equipment. Whatever they have running in their systems is killing them, and it's going to keep killing them, unless you figure out something else." Jacob slumped down against the wall, his hands going straight to his hair where they tangled in the dirty strands.

"If we take them to the hospital, they'll know." Jacob spoke through gritted teeth, his face still hidden from view, hiding the tears that were leaving trails down his bloodstained cheeks.

"If you don't…they die." The doctor's words hung in the air, the tension so thick that Sue couldn't bring herself to speak, couldn't find the words to make any of this better.

"I might have another way." A cracked voice spoke from a sunlit doorway, her hand gently touching the edges of the thick bandage at her neck.

"Bells, you need to be in bed, you need to rest." Jake said despairingly, his wet eyes meeting hers for just a second before he caught the hope shining back at him. She didn't understand, couldn't understand, the choice he had to bear.

"No, I need to help and right now I might be the only one who can. The Cullens owe us, they owe us more than they probably know and I think Dr. Cullen might be able to help fix what Edward did. You just need to let me go and ask." Her voice was heavy but she felt so certain if the hopelessness she'd overheard had been correct, that her way was the only way to save any of them.

"I'll take Quil with me." She said firmly, and though it pained her to do so, she pushed her body away from the doorframe which had been supporting her weight and hobbled to Jacob's side.

"Just let me do this, Jake… please?" Her eyes opened wide and Jake couldn't help his hand as it lifted softly to her face, his fingers tracing a nasty bruise on her cheek where Sue thought a fracture may lay underneath.

"You don't know what you're asking me." He replied, already feeling like two of his pack were drifting away and desperately wanting to hold his protection around everything he had left.

"I know. But I have to try." She replied so quietly and so firmly that he couldn't fault her strength.

Nodding his head, he already doubted her chances of success, but he knew just as she did, that they wouldn't be able to live with themselves, if as she said, they didn't at least try.

* * *

><p><strong>an: A big thank you to my beta Twiticulate...**

**Eeek, we're getting so close to the end now and I have to admit I always find these last few chaps of my stories really hard to write, so if I'm all over the place with my schedule please bear with me. I think maybe four chaps more. **

**Anyway, as always I'm aiming to have another chap for you on Wednesday... so hopefully I'll see you all then. xxx**


	32. Resident Evil

Bella didn't need to lean forward and check the speedometer, no doubt resulting in a jolt of pain slicing through her body, to know that Quil was driving like an old lady. Just before they'd left La Push behind them, Jacob had thrown so many rules at them, so many things to say and not do, but he didn't seem to have a problem with Quil driving her truck without a valid driver's license; he'd only seemed concerned that she wasn't going to be driving. She'd forgotten completely that she'd abandoned her truck in La Push, leaving it abandoned as she strode off on some wild goose chase through the woods to find her wolf. It was a wonder that her father hadn't put the vehicle in lock-up, but apparently like his daughter, it had been kept well out of his sight.

It was a risk driving anywhere in such a recognizable vehicle, but they hadn't been left with much choice, especially since she was intent on seeing through with this insane mission. "Don't make any sudden moves." Jake had sagely offered as critical advice, though she couldn't help but think it was inane. If the Cullens were going to kill them when they had the advantage of numbers and maturity, throwing her arm out at a certain speed of knots wasn't going to influence that.

"Do you know where you're going?" Bella asked wearily, keeping the necessary amount of words to a minimum, as each time she opened her mouth to speak a searing pain shot across her cheeks and back into her skull.

"Yeah, Jake made us do a couple patrols out this way while we were in the cabin. It's on the road into town, so hopefully no one will see us." Quil replied, his tone soft and reassuring. Bella didn't really know him well enough to question just how unaffected he seemed by the night they'd endured, but she thought maybe having something to keep his mind occupied was saving him from falling apart. After all, that was how she felt.

"When we get there, you need to stay in the car until I speak to them. You reek of blood, and as crazy as this whole thing is, I'm pretty sure if we have a chance to let them know we're not the local `Leech Meals on Wheels,' it might up our survival potential." Just then, Quil turned on his blinker and peeled off the main road with what felt like practiced ease. The truck began to bounce on the uneven surface of what was little more than a dirt track road and Bella clenched her fingers into fists as she tried not to show how much pain she was enduring with every little jostle.

"Sorry, I'll take it down a notch." Quil said apologetically, and though the truck still swayed from side to side, the rocking motion lessened tremendously.

"You really think the Daddy Leech will be able to fix them?" Quil asked, turning his eyes from the road to look Bella over, hoping for some concrete reassurance.

But all she could manage was a soft shrug. She'd overheard Jacob and the Doctor talk with so little hope that she wasn't naïve to the reality that this was likely their only option, but she still wasn't sure what, if anything, the Cullens could do.

Silence amassed between them as drab daylight lit up the world around them. Bella had spent so much time locked away that it didn't feel right to be a part of the sunshine, especially as they were crawling their way up to what she knew was the home of a family of Vampires. She knew that this would be Quil's first genuine face-to-face encounter with the Cullens, or any vampire really, without Jacob to back him up and the thought stirred some feelings of caution within her. Jacob had ordered Quil not to phase, not to do anything that might look like an attack, but she still wondered at the strength and control of the youngest wolf, the temptation he was being drawn into.

Finally, the tall hedges which had lined the small road faded away and opened up to reveal a beautiful white home. It looked far too modern and light for what she'd pictured in her mind, but then she had to remind herself that the Cullens had never really fit her stereotype of the gothic, coffin dwelling Vampires in her literary mind.

"Remember what we agreed: you stay in the truck until I say otherwise. They don't know we're coming and so I need you to just sit it out here until I can figure out if it's safe for you." Quil tried to push some of the authority he'd heard from Jacob into his voice, but she could tell that he was a little unsure of himself passing down orders, especially as this had been her hair-brained plan to begin with.

Nodding her head, she watched as he slid gracefully out of the truck and made his way to the oversized front door. His walk carried a smooth confidence and Bella was so enraptured in his gait that she didn't notice the front door opening before he'd had time to officially announce their arrival.

Finally noticing the ochre eyes that we're pointed her way, Bella shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. There was nothing specific that she'd expected exactly, but the line of sparkling Cullens standing like rapturous statues in front of their property wasn't it. It was clear that Quil was speaking, as his hands were gesturing wildly, completely ignoring Jacob's golden rule of not making any sudden moves, but no one seemed to be responding, the wall of Vampires simply stared, their eyes unblinking.

It was only a few minutes later when Quil began walking back to her, his head turned slightly to keep a vigilant eye on the threat behind him.

"Apparently they heard us coming all the way from when we turned off the main road. They know you're injured too, Bells, but they told me it won't be an issue." Quil's voice was tense, but one look at him told Bella that he was on high alert. His eyes were darting around the property, and though he was standing over her in the passenger doorway, she could feel the tension pouring from his stiff frame.

"Thanks for doing this." Bella said, her voice slightly mumbled as she tried to keep her fragile facial movements as slight as possible.

"You don't need to thank me; you just need to convince the Doc that we haven't wasted our time coming here."

They didn't say another word and after a few seconds of fraught silence, Bella watched Quil come to grips with the reality of what they were about to do. She knew if it came to it they were vastly outnumbered, and it seemed as Quil gripped firmly on the doorframe that he was making peace with walking her into the enemy's lair. Finally, he moved back from the doorway and held out his arm, which Bella took, grateful for the support.

"You okay?" He asked as her feet hit the floor and she hissed almost inaudibly at the new layer of pain. Sue had told her that it was too soon for her to be off on lifesaving missions, but Bella couldn't agree, not when it was the life of her wolf at stake.

Their progress across the graveled front yard was slow, but the Cullens didn't seem to mind as they remained stoically still. Dr. Cullen seemed the most intent on her slow progress though, his professional eyes tracing Bella's body up and down, silently assessing her injuries.

"Miss Swan, I believe, I'm Carlisle Cullen, I understand you wished to see me." He greeted her pleasantly when they were within touching distance.

Bella looked up almost expecting his arm to be outstretched, but apparently that was simply a step too far in inter-supernatural species good relations.

"Doctor Cullen. I'm sorry we just showed up like this without warning, but I think we need to talk about something important." Bella was amazed that her voice hadn't betrayed the fear that she felt trickle like ice over her skin, but she did keep her hand gripped tightly to Quil's arm as she tried not to obviously sway, the pressure of standing coming at a dizzying cost.

"Perhaps we should go inside then. I don't expect your injuries to be a problem, after all, as you know my children are enrolled in high school and I'm sure you can appreciate that blood is nothing new for them. However, I would ask you to please not be offended if anybody needs to leave. As I told your friend here, we weren't expecting you and therefore haven't taken our usual precautions."

Bella hadn't really afforded herself the chance to look in the mirror, but she felt like her body had been torn apart, so his warning was hardly surprising.

One by one the Cullens slipped back gracefully into the interior of their home, with Carlisle taking up the rear. Bella and Quil followed his lithe movements into the main body of the house, the open influx of sunshine and light décor once again reminding her that she needed to abandon her pre-conceived assumptions.

"Please take a seat." Doctor Cullen indicated a small white leather sofa sitting a small distance from the other seats in the room, and while Bella sat, Quil remained standing over her shoulder, clearly taking his responsibility as her protector very seriously.

Bella wasn't sure exactly where to start, and even though she desperately wanted to just get down on her knees and beg for their help, she knew that would never come without understanding just why she was there at all.

"Last night, or at least I think it was last night…" Bella looked up to Quil for confirmation, and with a succinct nod she continued, not missing Alice as she rose from the seat she'd been occupying, stopping just before the doorway, holding herself flush against the wall. "Last night Edward bit two of the pack and now they're dying." From the way his body had inclined forward slightly, Bella knew the patriarchal vampire wanted to interrupt her, but she simply held up her hand, hoping he would respect her need to get the whole story out first.

"I don't know how much you know about where his mind was, but I've known for a while now that Edward thought we belonged together. He told me that Alice had had some sort of vision where she saw us together in the future, and for whatever reason, he seemed to believe that was enough to lay some claim on me."

Pausing to twist her body into a more comfortable position, Bella raised her eyes to find a silent conversation taking place between the Alice and Carlisle, their mouths moving but the level of their conversation too low for her to catch. She waited for them to finish and then directed her question to the Doctor. "Do you know what imprinting is?" She asked and though she couldn't see him, she could feel Quil rile up behind her. He wasn't pleased with her revealing the intimate secrets of the pack, but she knew it was a necessity, so when the Doctor confirmed his ignorance she continued.

"Jacob told me it's a rarity, but every once in a while when the wolf and the man are not at peace, they are gifted an imprint. I guess you could say they are the person best suited to balance them out."

Doctor Cullen nodded to confirm that he was following thus far and so Bella pressed on. "I'm an imprint, Paul's to be specific. I don't know how to explain it to you, but I guess you could say that we belong to one another, something which unfortunately negates whatever it was you saw, Alice." Bella didn't actually think it was unfortunate at all, especially considering the behavior she'd seen firsthand from Edward, but she was sensitive to their loss.

"I'm not sure how exactly it came about, but Edward and Sam forged some sort of weird friendship and I think his obsession with the idea that we would be together led him to do some things which I don't think were in his nature. Sam lost his imprint over the summer and I think when she died, his soul went with her. Since then he's sort of been terrorizing the pack, looking for some sort of eye-for-an-eye retribution and it seems he took Edward along for the ride."

Taking a deep breath, Bella forced herself to hold Dr. Cullen's gaze. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but he told me that he watched Jared hang himself and did nothing to help; he assaulted Leah when he tried to rescue me, even though I told him I didn't need rescuing; and last night he did some things, which I hope you agree aren't in line with the Treaty you held with the pack."

At this point Carlisle Cullen took to his feet and moved to Alice's side, whispered something in her ear and then turned back to Bella and Quil.

"I'm sorry for any inappropriate behavior my son may have inflicted upon you, but if you could be so kind as to tell me what it is you want, as Alice has seen some quite unsettling things today and I'm sure you can understand our impatience."

Bella couldn't help but be impressed with the elder Vampire's grace, and though she didn't want to say the words, she knew it was fruitless to hold back any longer.

"Like I said before, Sam went on a rampage last night and I think Edward thought he might be rewarded with my love and my safety for his involvement. However, Sam was crazy, hell bent on this crazy trip for vengeance. Edward tried to protect me, but in doing so, he got himself killed. I didn't see what happened as Sam had pretty much knocked me out at the time, but when I woke up Sam told me he'd torn him apart." Bella stopped, guilt bubbling as she replayed her words and knew she should have been more delicate, more tactful, more…something.

"It's true then." Alice whispered out, her body so still that when Bella raised her eyes, she wondered whether the words had been spoken at all.

Carlisle turned his back to Bella and Quil, his hand reaching out to touch Alice's forearm with a gentle pressure. She couldn't hear what he said, but as Alice's shoulders began to shake with silent sobs, she tore her eyes away. There was no influx of grief, no loud sobbing or shouts of denial like she'd expected, and it unsettled her greatly.

She didn't hear Alice leave, but when she raised her eyes again it was to see the younger blonde male follow her through the doorway. Carlisle was still turned away, his shoulders rising and falling in a controlled rhythm. "Edward hasn't been himself lately and we knew that he was taking Alice's vision a little too literally, but he promised me that he had it under control. Still, that isn't the only reason you came, is it?" He asked quietly, and though Bella didn't want to acknowledge it, she heard the crack in his lilting words.

"No it isn't. Like I said, before Sam killed him, Edward bit two of the pack and either he or Sam took pleasure in tearing them apart once they were weak enough not to fight back. The doctor on the rez says they're going to die. We… well, I, thought that maybe you could help us. That maybe you knew a way to fix what the venom is doing." Bella's words were rushed and she visibly sagged when she was through, her cards were now laid out for all to see.

"There's nothing I can do, medically at least. Our venom is poisonous to both shapeshifters and humans alike. The only difference being the end result." The logical conversation seemed to bring some normality to his voice, but when he turned back to face them again, the grief on his handsome face was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I know what I've just told you is terrible, but I know the Edward you knew wouldn't want those deaths on his hands." Bella truly believed every word she spoke, but she didn't understand that it was too soon, and her words felt too close to emotional blackmail even for the peaceful Doctor.

"Don't think for a second you understand anything my son did or didn't want." Carlisle said icily and Bella couldn't find a single piece of the gentleman who'd been before her through their visit.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean…" The apology was ready on her lips, but she wasn't given the chance to continue when a soft, melodic voice interrupted her.

"Dear, why don't you go to Alice? I think she needs you right now." The woman who rose from one of the seats was beautiful in a motherly sort of way and Bella felt the fear that had begun to prickle on her skin subside.

As soon as Doctor Cullen had left the room, she sat in the spot he'd occupied not so long ago.

"I'm sorry, Alice already saw that Edward was missing from our future, but I think everyone held out hope that it was just a glitch. Apparently she couldn't see him when he was around the pack, so we all just hoped he was going to be welcomed within you on a more permanent basis. I'm sorry for the way he treated you, Bella, all of you. Edward was just so desperate to be in love. It isn't an excuse, but I hope in time you might come to forgive him."

Bella wasn't sure exactly who they were talking to, but she did appreciate the warmth that seemed to flood over her skin, coating her in the protection of a matriarchal love.

"Unfortunately what Carlisle told you was true; there is nothing medically to be done. But when we last visited, I found the pack to be so interesting that I did a little personal research and I wonder…" She stopped and looked over her shoulder, responding to a noise Bella hadn't heard.

"Yes, I think perhaps it might be of some help to you… I recall the Alpha telling us that the pack and the wolves were strengthened with numbers; perhaps that might help. I believe your kind heals at an unnatural speed, but maybe if the pack as a whole is strengthened it might do something to help the individual fight the venom."

Bella wasn't quite sure how this was going to be useful, but the woman in front of them had the smallest of smiles on her lips.

"Maybe we might not be able to help with medicine, but if you do decide this is something you would like to try then please, I for one would like to right what wrongs my son may have inflicted on your people."

The woman stood and held out her hand, not moving a step closer. Misunderstanding her intent, Bella rose to her feet, only to find Quil already standing in front of her.

"Thank you…" Quil said, unsure of who he should be thanking.

"Esme." She answered and when Quil moved again, Bella was a little surprised to find her already gone, only the two other Cullens in the room who'd sat silently throughout their whole discussion were left, looking on with stoic, unreadable expressions.

They quietly exited the opulent home, and only when they were half way to La Push, did either speak again.

"That was weird. I mean, I know they said they knew already, but don't you think they took it just a little too well? And I really don't understand what she meant." Bella admitted, having turned over the offer in her mind again and again to find no resolution.

Quil didn't take his eyes from the road as he spoke, "The Cullens being around is what triggered whatever it is that makes us phase. She's saying that if the pack was bigger, then Embry and Paul might have more strength to fight against the venom. As for their reaction, they are dead, Bells; it was pretty much how I'd imagined they would be."

Bella played his words over and over about the Cullens triggering the phase, trying to push aside the logistics and simply embrace the unnatural world she was now existing in.

"So we just make the pack bigger?" She asked and he nodded, still not turning to face her way.

"Great, so we'll do that then." She concluded, the disappointment she'd felt to be returning empty handed fading away with hope in sight.

"Maybe, but I doubt Jake'll go for it. He didn't like going wolf against his will, and I doubt he'll willingly subject others to that, so…. I don't want to be the one to say it, but you might want to prepare yourself that he's going to say no."

Bella felt her whole morale ebb away as the hope that had blossomed seemed to curl up and recede in her mind.

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><p><strong>an: A big thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate... thanks for your insight on this one hun!**


	33. Martyrs

"I'm sorry Bells, but I just can't do it." Jacob's eyes held the weight of the world behind them, his words solemnly spoken.

She had relayed every word the Cullens had spoken, but the last glimmer of hope she'd held had been cast aside by his immediate and instinctual response.

"Are you kidding me? What's wrong with making the pack bigger? After all, it would mean the people in La Push are safer, wouldn't it?" Bella wasn't ignorant of the manipulation she was attempting to weave, but she also couldn't find it in herself to care; this was the life of her wolf she was talking about, and doing something a little out of character to save him didn't seem too much to ask.

Jacob's eyes took on a little edge of darkness and she knew that her words had found their mark. "I mean, if you don't do this then they're going to die! And what then? It'll be Jared and Quil all over again, won't it? So, they'll be more people phasing anyway, so what's it matter if we just speed the process up a little bit?" Throwing her hands wildly in the air, she caught a disapproving look from Quil, but he didn't make any indication that he wished to intercede on her, or Jake's, behalf.

"It's not the same thing, Bells, and you know it. Have you even thought about what I would have to do to make this happen? I mean seriously, are you going to go out there and hand pick these kids, parade them in front of a bunch of leeches until they phase and then tell them that whatever plans they had to get the hell out of here just got fucked, all because you were too selfish to care about anyone but yourself?" Jacob was too lost in making her see his side of things that his didn't notice his voice rising, his body physically leaning into her petite frame that was now only a foot or so from his.

"Jake." Quil cautioned, but his voice was lost in the melee.

"Alright, so it's selfish, but who the fuck cares? This is two of your pack you're talking about and you could save their lives, but you're choosing not to!" Bella shouted, pushing her finger angrily into his chest.

"I bet if it was Leah lying in there, you'd have the whole of La Push lined up at the boarders already." Bella snarled, her furious eyes meeting his with no fear for her safety, no care that she could see tremors ripple over his body as he rapidly lost control.

Jacob didn't have time to respond as a very calm Quil stepped between them, his body blocking both his Alpha and Bella from the object of their anger.

"You both need to calm down. Once you've done that, we can talk about this rationally, but until then this conversation is over." The tone of Quil's voice was so low and authoritative that Bella never considered contradicting his edict, already taking steps backward. However, Jacob was another story. Not only did he have anger rolling under his skin, but one of his pack, potentially the only member of his pack, was directing orders at him and in his current state he wasn't strong enough to hold back his wolf from acting on the threat.

His teeth were on Quil's neck before he knew what was coming and immediately the younger wolf went limp beneath him. There was too much instinct and danger at play to do anything else, but Bella didn't see it that way, didn't see that this was merely a reprimand and so she lunged forward beating her fists against Jacob's back and screaming at him to let go.

It took Sue's tired arms to pull her back from what could have been a lethal situation.

"Jacob?" Sue asked, acutely aware that something needed to be done to stop the fragile unraveling of the lives standing in front of her.

Having let Quil go, his back was now to the room and after a long moment to pull his emotions back under control he turned, his eyes shifting over the room with careful consideration.

"I'm sorry, Bells, but I can't do this. I can't trap anybody in this life; it's not a decision I'm willing to make." His words were placating, but then Bella couldn't understand why he wasn't looking at her, why he was staring rather pointedly at Sue.

She didn't catch a slight nod of Sue's head, so she thought it quite strange when the elder Quileute stood without word and left the room.

Bella couldn't bring herself to accept that this was his final decision, that she couldn't do something to change his mind, so without hesitation she stood once again and this time found a place to bury her anger, her fear.

"Jake, please don't do this. Don't tell me that you won't, because if you do that, if you condemn them to die without even trying, then I don't know who you are. That's your best friend up there and you're just sitting there when you could be saving him." Her tone was soft and pleading, but it was the desperation in her eyes that left him looking firmly at the ground.

"Please Jake? Quil didn't hate it. Ask him, I know he didn't." Bella turned to Quil and found like Jacob he wouldn't meet her eyes, wouldn't speak up against the injustice of his Alpha's choice.

"Enough, Bella, just give it a rest, okay? I'm not gonna change my mind on this and I think it's pretty unfair that you're still trying. I know who's up there. I know what they did to them and you don't think if I could do this I would? I can't force others to join when I wouldn't have wanted to myself, it's just not right." Jacob closed his eyes and looked so peaceful that Bella wanted to go over to him and shake him, scratch him 'til he could feel the same pain she was suffering through.

His words had been spoken with such finality that she knew he would never alter his mind, never agree to what she was asking of him.

"Would you do it if Leah asked you to?" She asked petulantly, her hands crossing over her chest as she tried to hold herself together.

"No." Jake replied succinctly, but she still caught a flash of something untouchable in his eyes.

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" She said haughtily and turned towards the stairs, managing one step before a hand fell angrily on her wrist.

"Enough!" He roared and whipped her body around to face his, the flash she'd noted before igniting into fury as he towered over her.

"If you care so much, then why haven't you even seen him? Why haven't you even asked me how Paul is if you're so hell bent on saving him?" His words sliced through her and she almost collapsed on the floor beneath him. It was a blow so low that she hadn't seen it coming, hadn't known she would need to guard herself against something like this from her best friend.

She found his eyes and knew immediately that he regretted his words, but it was too late to take it back and they both knew it.

"Fuck you, Jake." She said softly, as she ripped her wrist out from his grip, trying to hold herself together until she was out of his sight.

Her body was too feeble to rush out as she'd wanted and so her progress was slow, her feet pulling her in an unknown direction. It was only when the door was shut behind her and the first tears began to fall, that she allowed herself to feel the full extent of her emotions, the crushing feeling of defeat and desperation ripping through her. Tears flowed heavily down her face and as she slumped to the floor, Bella finally noticed her surroundings.

The room was darker than she'd expected and there was nothing clinical about it at all, but as she wiped away the blurry film from her eyes, she knew why her steps had brought her here.

Paul.

Sitting against the doorway, she held herself so still, her breaths shallow little gulps of air. His presence alone balanced her emotions and she knew now why she hadn't come before, why she hadn't asked Jacob how he was doing. She already knew.

A thin white sheet covered him up to his hips, but above that there was another layer of white, a bandage that covered almost his entire back. Even in such a terribly weakened state, she could still feel strength pouring from him, but this time it felt like his life-force was oozing out into the heavy air of the room. She wanted to gather the pieces of him together and hold him still, to stop whatever it was that was fading in front of her very eyes.

Her feet were slow to cross the room, and with each small area of distance traversed, she noticed something about him that hadn't been there before.

First it was the pallor of his skin, even in the dim light she felt like she was watching the venom steal him away, sucking dry whatever glorious gift of nature had made him so vivid.

Next it was the fine sheen on sweat covering his body, the fight taking place in the darkness of his body releasing outwards in his toxic struggle.

Finally it was the lack of heat. As she slipped down to sit on the floor next to his bed, she felt nothing and as she reached out and brushed her fingers across his untouched cheek, she gasped to find him so cold.

Holding her tears at bay, she sat by his side for hours, whispering to him over and over that he had to fight, that it would be the only way to come back to her. There was no indication that her words found their source, but as the sun set she repeated them like a mantra, her lilting coax not even stopping as sleep began to take over.

Her injuries were too fresh to sleep well in such an uncomfortable position, but when she woke to find Quil shaking her shoulder lightly, her immediate response was to check on Paul, to check he hadn't slipped away as her mind sought solace in tangled dreams.

"Sue found something, you need to come and hear what she the Elders have to say." His words had been chosen cautiously, but she couldn't suppress the trickle of hope that found its way into her eyes.

Laying a gentle kiss on Paul's outstretched fingers she rose gingerly, once again grateful that Quil was so willing to offer his support.

Mentally she couldn't get downstairs fast enough, but her body held her back and though it pained her to do so, she pushed hard, ignoring the protests of her fragility as she went. When she finally found refuge in one of the living room chairs, she lifted her head from her feet for the first time, finding several new pairs of eyes looking her way, assessing her injuries.

"Sue." Jacob prompted, his arms looped possessively around his imprint, her head nestled snuggly against his chest. The only indication Bella had that Leah wasn't in a deep sleep was a gentle caress of her thumb, trailing back and forth over Jacob's pulse point on his neck. It hurt to see them together, but she hastily swallowed her jealously, knowing it served no positive purpose.

"Bella, we called a meeting of the Council to discuss our options. No one is questioning Jacob's choice as Alpha, but I believe this is so sensitive a topic to all of you that the burden was being unnecessarily carried on his shoulders alone." Bella heard the words and felt her little trickle of hope expand into a flurry. Jacob's decision wasn't final, at least not anymore.

"Bella I'm not going to build your hopes, I'm afraid we unanimously agreed that it would be unnatural to force the phase upon our sons." Bella shook her head, trying to push the words she'd absorbed back out into the ether. Why had they brought her here then? Why take her away from her wolf and feed her false hope if they were only going to force her to accept his fate once again? She was about to open her mouth and indignantly say something to that effect, when a kind voice broke into her thoughts, a paternal familiarity that she locked onto intrinsically.

"Bella?" Billy Black called to her, her head rolling to find his gentle eyes so full of sadness. "There is something which used to be done a long time ago with the imprints, something which completed the natural circle and bound them to their wolves as their wolves were already bound to them." Bella's interest piqued as he spoke with wistful maturity, his gentle voice enrapturing her with its quiet confidence.

"So right now the imprint is one sided? Does it matter, I mean will whatever this thing is make a difference?" She asked, her eyes locked with his.

But his response wasn't the assured one she was expecting. "The imprint bond is all about balance, but right now yes the weight of the gift falls only on the wolf, you could leave at any time if you so decided, go on to marry and bear children with another of your choosing, but that is not the way for the wolf. For the wolf there will only ever be the imprint. In order to accept your wolf fully, you would need to be marked with his blood, but the blood now running through your wolf's veins is poisonous."

"So it might kill me too?" She asked, remembering what the Cullens had told her, that the venom was poisonous to both humans and shape shifters, only the end result was different.

"We aren't sure, but there is a possibility you would become the enemy, one of the cold ones." His words were evenly spoken and she appreciated his honesty, but she already knew what she was going to do.

"If I do this, if you'll let me do this, will it make the pack stronger? Will it give them a chance to live?" Bella asked, her questions rushed in her eagerness to actually do something.

"This is not a request we can deny. As an imprint, it is your right to be bound if you so choose. But there are consequences, Bella. Yes, you will make the pack stronger, but you will never be able to leave either. Any significant time spent away from your wolf would weaken you both, eventually it would kill you and as I said before he will only ever be the one for you, death does not negate the bond. But that being said we don't even know if you would survive this plain without him, so that may be of little consequence. It's a very serious decision Bella and one you need to think about before you rush into this." Billy looked deep in her eyes, hoping to pass down just how serious this was, something which even if it succeeded to save the two wolves would have an equal chance of killing her.

"I don't care about the consequences. I want to do it." Bella said firmly, looking around the room defiantly as if someone might stop her. A few of the Elders who'd gathered seemed pleased by her choice, but that did nothing to blanket the look of pure fury emanating from Jacob and Quil. Obviously, both had been against revealing this option.

"I'm sorry, but you have to know that I can't not do this." She spoke only for them and whatever chink she'd expected to pierce in their anger remained unbroken.

There were no more words spoken from the Elders as all those who could rose to their feet.

"We'll need to bring the boy down here." A man who Bella didn't recognize said, breaking the silence. Though she wanted to beat her fists down and insist that no one touch Paul, she watched as Quil reluctantly rose, Jacob following a few moments later after carefully tucking Leah into the corner of the couch he'd just evacuated.

Their progress was slow and with each step they took Bella felt Paul's discomfort in her throat, his body so abused that she found so little of the strong wolf she'd known.

"Are you ready?" Billy asked and she felt his warm hand curl around hers, squeezing gently as he offered her his support.

A single nod was all she offered and as she found her feet, a single weak voice broke through the suffocating expectation in the room.

"I want to do it too."

All heads whipped around to face Leah, to find a cool confidence written across her bruised face. But it was only Jacob who spoke, only Jacob who angrily threw his fist down against his own leg.

"Over my dead body. " He said with such soft intensity that Bella felt the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end. Luckily this wasn't her fight, and it wasn't her choice to make, so she watched in fascination as Leah unwrapped her legs and rose with a broken grace.

"Well then you better lie down and start dying, Jacob Black, because whether you agree with me or not, I'm doing this too."

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><p><strong>an: I'm really sorry this one took so long to get to you folks, but here it is and hopefully worth the wait. **

**As always a big thanks to my crazy wonderful beta, Twiticulate... xxx**


	34. In Cold Blood

Jacob closed his eyes and he took what looked to be some very deep breaths, his chest heaving upwards dramatically as he sucked in his frustration as well as a lungful of air.

"Maybe we could talk about this in private?" His eyes held Leah's for one soulful moment, the room waiting to see what his tempestuous imprint would say to his request. However, she didn't respond with words, she merely shrugged a pair of defiant shoulders and lifted one eyebrow combatively. Jacob groaned aloud, but then shifted his gaze to his father, betraying his usually masked vulnerability.

"Dad, c'mon! Seriously, this is a fucking archaic ritual that went out of date when people were still pissing on the trees, but you're just gonna let them go ahead with it just because they want to? What about what I think? What about what Paul would think if he knew you were letting her sacrifice herself for him?" Jacob's voice had lost its Alpha authority and to Bella's ears he was sounding far more like the whiney high school Junior he was meant to be. The reality of who they'd all become in such a short period of time only flitted softly through her mind, the thought of her wolf laying dying at her feet roaring over every emotion she'd could possible consider feeling.

"Can we just get on with this?" Bella asked sharply, dropping to her knees to run her fingers through Paul's lustrous dark hair, trying to ignore the cold chill to his pallid skin.

She didn't see Billy raise his eyebrows with unspoken questions, nor did she catch Jacob standing down in defeat when Leah pleaded ever so effectively with her beautiful dark eyes, but she did sense movement in the air.

There was no question over how this would be done, what tools they could possibly use to execute something which had gone out of practice centuries ago. If she'd been thinking more clearly, she would have acknowledged this as an admittance that they'd known all along what her choice would be if they brought this to her attention, but in truth she was barely thinking at all.

"Jacob could you come sit here please?" An elder Quileute asked, pulling himself to his feet with shuddering strength before standing proudly in the middle of the room, authority exuding from his pores.

Jacob paused for a heavy moment before slumping down almost petulantly into a nearby chair. However, his lack of acceptance with this course of action didn't stop him lifting his shirt over his head without a single direction or word spoken in the room. His eyes never left Leah's as a vial of blood was pulled from his body, the tension mounting as all eyes watched on.

When the same Elder moved to kneel by Paul, Bella almost threw him from his feet with an innate instinct to protect, but a heavy hand on her shoulder stilled her wild response. She didn't need to look up to know that it would be Jacob standing by her side, knowing intrinsically that her choice would come at a cost, that she would need him in this moment.

Laying her head on the warmth of his hand, she watched the life being literally pulled from Paul, the tainted blood glimmering no differently than that which had been elicited from the Alpha himself. She scolded herself for thinking that evil would be so obvious, that the past few weeks had probably taught her nothing.

Another body joined her side, followed by another, and this time she took a thorough look around, recognizing the feel of pack in a way she'd never understood before. But something was missing, something key to all this.

"We need Embry." She whispered.

Silence resumed, but it seemed that her instincts were shared, and soundlessly Jacob and Quil once again trekked up the narrow stairway, returning with a broken soldier held loftily in their arms.

Laying him gently by Paul's side on the floor, she felt an outpouring of guilt. She hadn't really thought about the salvation of Embry, about the boy who it seemed was destined to always be left behind in her consideration. Pushing aside the selfish emotion, she couldn't help but feel that now he was with them, that this was right, and everything they needed was now in place.

"Shall we?" The elder man asked holding out his hand towards Leah, who though she'd volunteered second, seemed to be taking the lead on this whole imprint ritual. Bella didn't mind, didn't see any need in being petulant and insisting she needed to do this now, no matter how much her mind was screaming that was how it should be.

Leah took the lead from her mate and didn't flinch once as the knife sliced down into her skin, didn't actually react at all, not even when the blood of her wolf was smeared aggressively into the indistinguishable wound on her skin. The Elders hadn't actually told them what they would be marking into their skin, but nothing about this night felt uncertain and Bella assumed, rightly, that there had been significant discussion regarding this very ritual among the council.

Her turn came soon enough and as she reclined back into a comfortable chair, she fought against her every instinct to close her eyes, instead focusing on the two wolves lying prone on the floor, aware that her body was about to ingest merely a fraction of what was currently running like glue through their veins.

No one insulted her by asking if she was certain of her choice. No one warned her when the first slice would be made into her body. The knife felt cool against her skin and the pain was so sharp that it slid in easily, ripping her apart in short sharp slices. The intricate design on her skin stung as the knife was finally laid aside and she felt the whole room pause as the blood of her wolf was smeared, just like it had been with Leah, directly into the open wound.

Bella wasn't sure exactly what she'd expected to happen, what sort of fireworks she'd expected to erupt in the atmosphere, but all that seemed to happen was a sharp tingle began to spread throughout her body, a gentle fire ebbing and flowing under her skin, but never erupting into uncontrollable flames.

After an indeterminable period of silence Bella raised her eyes to her shoulder, pulling gently at the skin to see a number of words she couldn't decipher. Looking to Leah she found the elder girl already wrapped up again in Jacob's arms, his fingers trailing reverentially as close to the wound as he obviously dared.

"You okay, Bells?" She heard a gentle voice ask from her side. Turning her head slowly, she caught Quil's endless brown eyes, his concern apparent as his fingers gripped tightly to the arm of her chair. She understood enough about the pack dynamic to know that he was probably desperately looking for a way to comfort her, to protect her from the possibility of pain.

"Thanks, Quil. I think I'm good, a little warm maybe, but nothing too bad." Twisting slightly in the seat, Bella felt the old wounds on her skin like a familiar ache, superseded by the sensations she was enduring. Now that she'd mentioned it, her whole body felt like it was on its way to overheating. So when Quil walked away only to return a few moments later with a cool cloth, she was ridiculously grateful.

"Do you think it did anything yet?" She asked as he laid the cold fabric on her glistening forehead, a sigh falling from her lips.

"I don't know, the Doc is checking them over as we speak."

Bella didn't have it in her to wish for any miraculous improvement, but she would have been lying if she said there was a certain amount of contentment in her soul. She'd done all she could, more than she was sure Paul would have approved. Now, she just had to find any reserves of patience she had left.

When the Doctor stood up from the two fallen wolves and wiped his sweating palms down on his trousers, Bella told herself there was still time, that it would be foolish to hope for any effects to have taken place so soon.

Long hours passed and the room grew more and more still, the Elders of the tribe slowly finding reasons to be elsewhere, as the hope that had once buoyed them all flittered from their hearts. Instead of strengthening them, both Embry and Paul seemed only to be weakening. Their bodies which had once showed no physical strain of their obvious injuries were now bathed in a thin coat of sweat. Embry had started shaking violently over an hour ago and as the Doctor laid his useless instruments aside for the last time, it was with a listless shake of his head.

"Thank you, for everything." Billy Black said, his tone devoid of his usual purity of emotion.

Bella didn't care for what anyone else had to say, she was too tied to this battle. The slow fire running over her skin, reminded her that both Paul and Embry were feeling this tenfold, that their bodies were being wracked with an intense pain and she could do nothing to prevent it.

Pulling her hand from Quil's grasp she dragged her body to the floor, ignoring the three lonely voices calling for her to come back to them. She knew where she needed to be and it was no longer as a bystander watching on as the man she had bound herself to for eternity slipped away.

She took great care not to move either of their bodies as she tucked herself between them, and though her back was facing Embry, she pressed her body in line with his, hoping he would understand that she would do all she could for him, but Paul was always hold her loyalty first.

"Bells, do you think that's such a good idea?" Jacob asked and she wanted to tell him that he wasn't much of a wolf if he couldn't see that they needed her, that they needed all of them to be near. She'd held herself back for too long and though she wanted to say all this aloud, she simply didn't have the energy left to give.

Closing her eyes she wrapped her hands carefully around as much of Paul's body as she dared and only when she could feel her body trapped within theirs did she finally allowed her eyes to close.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before she felt one of them twitch against her side, her mind so lost in grief and pain that she couldn't even distinguish who it had been. Bella tried to speak, to let the others know what she'd felt, but they were already right there with her, telling her to rest. Even in her haze she understood that their voices were coaxing, that there was something in their tones that hadn't been there before.

The realization scared her and a little jolt of adrenaline flew into her heart, piercing the dull hold that was pulling her under. Too soon the pain was back and she drifted away once again, not fully aware that they were no longer just fighting for two lives but three.

"What do you think we should do?" Quil asked quietly.

Embry's breaths had evened out in the past few hours, his body taking on a little of the heat it normally exuded and they were all secretly clinging on to the hope that was knocking against their mental barriers.

"I think we don't do anything. Whatever she did is working, for Emb at least. Other than that, Paul doesn't seem to be getting any worse." Jacob concluded robotically, holding a sleeping Leah to his chest as though she might run if he even thought about letting her go.

"You don't think we should call the Doc back in?" Quil asked, running his fingers through his dirty hair.

"He'll just tell us what we already know." Jacob sighed, already contemplating the conversations he was going to have when this was over. Like Quil, he'd seen improvements in Embry, but it did little to soothe the fear in his heart. Bella looked right at home tucked between the two pale wolves and he didn't want to admit it, but he could taste the sickness in the air, the rank smell of death screwing with his mind as he felt it drawing nearer.

"They can't die, right? I mean, I know they can, but they aren't going to, right Jake?" The soft plea in his voice reminded Jacob of who he was meant to be, the role he had been destined to fill.

"Of course they won't. Bells has been through hell and back these past few days and a little leech in her system isn't going to kill her now, especially when she'll get to say she 'told me so' when they all make it through this okay." Jacob threw a confident smile on his lips, but it was his eyes that let him down, the true lack of belief shining through them. If Quil noticed it, he never let on.

The sun rose for the second day and three of his pack were still fighting for their lives on the living room floor. What had initially been pack business was slowly sifting through his fingers and an unwelcome visit from his father, to unobtrusively remind him of who Bella's father was, left him with a whole new set of problems to deal with.

He's laid Leah carefully down by Paul's side during the long hours and only now, in the light of day could he see that there were definitive changes that had taken place during the night.

Not only were Paul and Embry both looking slightly flushed, their skin back to the dark russet color favored in the Quileute tribe, but there was no longer the scent of decay in the air. He didn't truly want to believe his eyes at first, but when he nudged Quil awake and asked for his assessment of the situation, he allowed a genuine smile to fit on his lips for the first time in as long as he could remember.

The room felt too enclosed, too dark and lacking in life. Both he and Quil made quick work of opening all the windows and doors they could, the scent of forest, of sea and of earth flowing like honey bringing sweet relief into the room.

"This feels better." Quil concluded, his hands firm on his hips as he surveyed the new feel of the room.

"You think we should look at their wounds?" Quil asked, but Jacob didn't wait to answer him.

His large Alpha hands were delicate as they pulled back the edges of the white patches hiding the brutality of their fallen pack-mate. Even as Jacob held his breath, expecting the worst, he lifted the gauze only to raise his head, his smile turning into a wide grin.

"What?" Quil asked, dropping to his knees by Jacob.

"They're healing." Jacob said happily, pulling the bandage fully away.

"What about Paul?" Quil asked tentatively. There was absolutely no doubt that Embry had improved markedly during the night, but Jacob still hadn't decided whether he saw the same in Paul, or whether it was something he only wanted to see.

"No doubt the same" Jacob said firmly, masking his uncertainty with firm bravado.

He was even more careful this time, even more reticent to pull back the tape to see the horror within.

The anticipation was strong in the air and Quil stood back, desperately wanted his Alpha to hurry up, to just rip back the blanket of white and reveal whatever the fates had chosen for their brother. He could read little from his Alpha's face, but when Jacob's mouth dropped open in shock he felt his heart thud louder in his chest, grief nearly bringing him to his knees.

But then Jacob was smiling again, and suddenly that smile became a deep bellow of laughter, the sound a little manic in the stillness of the room. Quil didn't want to believe it until he'd seen it with his own eyes. In a very unQuil-like manner, he nudged Jacob slightly out of his way, his own mouth dropping as Jacob's had before.

Unlike Embry, Paul's wounds were already knitting themselves into red raw scars, lines that would surely fade in little to no time at all.

"What the hell?" Quil exclaimed with joy, finding Leah's blinking eyes looking at him in bewilderment.

"What's going on?" She asked, her voice raspy with sleep.

With the news that the two wolves were on the mend, her mind was alert in seconds. However, unlike the boys, she didn't smile, didn't feel the extent of pure relief that was running through the room, because unlike them she'd seen something they'd both been oblivious to.

"Guys, what about Bella?"

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><p><strong>an: A big thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate - you rock hun. xxx**


	35. Awake

The smiles quickly fell from the room as all eyes migrated to the fragile girl nestled between the two healing men. No-one knew what to say, but two sets of acute ears sought out a faint heartbeat, hidden softly under that of her already strengthening wolf; Bella was alive. There was nothing they could do but wait and watch, helpless as she fought internally to save her soul.

"Do you think she's gonna go leech on us?" Quil asked, forming the question that no-one had truly been willing to voice, but had nestled uncomfortably in the forefront of their minds.

Jacob couldn't bring himself to answer, couldn't find anything left in his internal arsenal to sooth himself, let alone the people around him. He knew what the law of his people would dictate if she did turn, but the thought of destroying her sickened him, turning his stomach with repulsion and fear.

Luckily, Leah had enough hope for all of them and so with a dismissing tsk, she took them all quickly to task. "Enough with this moping shit already. Bella knew the risk she was taking when she decided to go through with this and I'm sure as all fucking hell you aren't even gonna think once about abandoning her if the worst happens. So, let's get them all off the fucking living room carpet and do something productive for once."

Neither Jacob nor Quil were sure what they could do that fell into the category of productive so they simply rose to their feet and lingered, looking lost as they both waited for their cues from the smallest conscious body in the room.

"Jake, you move Embry back up to his room, its gotta be a damn sight comfier than the floor, and while you're at it, why don't you sit with him for a while? If being around pack makes them heal faster, then I'm betting with you as Alpha it's gonna go a good way to helping that along." Leah commanded and Jake was already moving to the stairs with a heavy body thrown cautiously over his shoulder before she was done speaking.

"Is the room Paul was in big enough for Bells too?" Leah asked as Jacob's feet disappeared at the top of the stairs, turning her attention to Quil.

"Yeah it should be, but Leah, my Mom is gonna be home soon and she's gonna flip when she finds us all camped out here. I mean, what am I supposed to tell her, that a big scary wolf nearly took out two of my friends and now one might turn vamp on us?" Quil rubbed his hands over his forehead as he played out his Mother's irate reaction in his head.

"Hey don't worry that, maybe we can get Billy or my Mom to run interference or something. Just focus on staying positive, okay?" Leah stepped into his body and put her hand on his youthful cheek, the assurances finding their way home as she stared at him with such innate confidence. When she decided that he finally had it together again, she went right back to ordering him around. "Now, how about you help get these two upstairs? That way, at least if your Mom does come back to check things out, we won't have to explain the comatosed strangers on her living room carpet." Leah smiled and Quil couldn't help but mimic the action, finding a sense of peace as he relinquished his control to simply follow orders for a while.

With the room cleared, Leah allowed herself just a brief moment of doubt, heaving in a thick breath through her heavy body. She hadn't even really had time to check out her own injuries, but Jacob had sworn to her there was little more than surface damage to contend with. She was lucky, she knew that, but as her eyes trailed towards the staircase, she certainly didn't feel that way.

"Leah? Do you want me to stay with them too?" Quil called softly from the corridor above and an easy smile adorned her lips just from hearing the familiarity in his timbre.

Taking the stairs as quickly as her body would allow, she found Quil standing awkwardly in an open doorway, obviously unwilling to leave his pack-mate alone without express instructions.

"Why don't you take a shower Quil, and then maybe try to get some sleep." Leah prompted softly, knowing the brave mask he was wearing was already slipping away, also knowing he would likely want to hide his pain from her when it did.

"I'll say yes to the shower, but I don't think I could sleep even if I tried." But he was seriously underestimating Leah's will and when he did emerge smelling of soft floral scents rather than dirt and death, she could see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"Why don't you just come and lay with me for a while?" Leah asked, patting the floor next to her where she'd been holding vigil next to Paul and Bella's slumbering forms. He didn't need anymore prompting than that and as he laid his head in her lap, he could already feel himself giving in to his body's demands, sleep finding him easily as she gently pet his slightly damp black hair.

He awoke with a start, a sharp finger prodding between his ribs. "Whu?" He grumbled, nestling his head down deeper into Leah lap, earning him a sweet chuckle.

"Seriously honey, I think you're gonna want to see this." Leah coaxed and as her lilting voice wrapped around his senses, he felt the last vestiges of sleep tickle from his system.

Lifting his tired body he closed his eyes as he stretched out his muscles, groaning in delight to feel the familiar twinges of pain. When he opened his eyes again he had to blink twice to believe what he was seeing.

He turned back to Leah to find her grinning widely, her eyes glimmering with happiness. "Have you told Jake?" Quil asked, looking back over to the bed in happy amazement.

"Nah, not yet anyway, he only just started moving." Leah replied, her whole attention focused on what was now a view of Paul's back.

Paul had been laid prone for so long, chest down on the mattress, that it was strange to see his muscles twisting under his skin, his body now propped on his side, curling subconsciously around the body of his fading imprint.

"Is he awake?" Quil asked, ignoring the obvious reality that if anyone should be aware of his pack-mates recovery it should be him, with his acute senses and supernatural brotherly bond.

"I don't think so, but I can't imagine it'll be long now. Maybe you should go see how Embry's doing." Leah suggested, selfishly unwilling to miss the moment when Paul finally did wake, even if she was more than certain that he would be likely to combust when he found out what Bella had done to save him.

Quil stepped quietly out of the room and tread softly to Embry's side, nodding a greeting to Jake, who, like Leah, was sitting legs outstretched on the carpet, as he entered.

"Paul's moving about, but he isn't awake yet." Quil mumbled lightly, noting that Embry just looked like he was sleeping peacefully, no sign of the horror he'd endured on his now unmarked body.

"I think Emb will be up and about soon too, he's definitely healed overnight... any news on Bells?" Jake asked reluctantly. He didn't want to hear that she was fading any further, that he might be faced with yet another unthinkable decision when things felt like they were finally threading back together again.

Quil just shook his head, offering neither peace nor problems with words he didn't have to give. Jacob knew from what his father had said in hushed words that the change took roughly three days, but his insight into the metamorphosis ended there. He had no idea what markers they should be looking for to indicate the worst was going to happen and it left him feeling remarkably helpless.

"You mind sitting with him for a while? I wanna take a look and see how she's doing." Jake asked, pulling himself to his feet with ease as Quil readily took over his watch.

Jacob found Leah exactly where Quil had left her and though he longed to go to her side, to lift her into his arms and just pretend that everything was going to be okay, he moved to the other side of the room, his enhanced eyesight countering the otherwise problematic dark lighting.

His eyes wandered all over Bella's body, systematically taking in every inch of her, from her toes up to her tangled hair. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a little relieved to see that all of her injuries were still intact, that nothing unnatural was going on to heal her with any increased speed.

"Do you think she's gonna end up like one of them?" Leah asked quietly, entwining her fingers with his as she moved to stand by his side.

"I don't know, but somehow I don't think so. I guess I'm really just hoping that Paul had already put up a pretty decent fight against whatever the hell was in his blood that the leech put there. She's not healing any faster than she should be, and she doesn't smell of anything but wolf." Jacob concluded, feeling more sure of himself as he actually said the words aloud that he'd been thinking.

"She smells like wolf?" Leah asked, purposefully avoiding the question that she truly wanted answering.

"Yeah, well actually she smells like Paul, just like you smell like me." Jacob replied, pulling her body into his as he pressed his nose into her throat and made an exaggerated show of snuffling against her skin as she giggled.

"Fucking wonderful, just what I wanted to wake up to!" Paul groaned, his voice gruff from days of silence.

And just like that, chaos erupted.

Embry's feet weren't so silent this time as he trampled his way into the room, his eyes wide with delight as he stood gaping in the doorway. "Paul!" Leah exclaimed, as she tried to get to his side, not understanding why Jacob was holding her back, when all she wanted to do was run forward and throw her arms around him, to prove to herself that what she'd prayed for had now come to be.

"What the hell?" Paul asked as he tried to figure out why he was lying in bed with Bella, with an exuberant audience to boot. Pulling his body up into a sitting position he grimaced slightly, unsure whether the pain in his back was from the position he'd been sleeping in or something he was yet to understand.

"You might want to take it easy there." Jake said, his first words a calm warning and nothing more.

"What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was Sam and then…" His voice trailed off as he tried to picture the scene in the Swan's broken backyard. Vividly he recalled Embry hanging from the trees, but there was little else. It was obvious from the way they were all staring at him in wonder that he hadn't just woken up from a nap, and as he took a moment to assess the situation he finally took a good look at his sleeping imprint.

Sleeping was the wrong word he quickly decided. Her breath was labored, her heart beat weak, and from the looks of it she'd been dragged through a thicket of broken glass, with one side of her face darkened by an ever developing bruise.

"Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on and they better start talking soon." Paul snarled with ferocity, his anger making it impossible for him to touch her, to taste her skin as he desperately needed to do.

"No, first you need to calm down or else I'm gonna have to separate you from Bells." Jacob said evenly, all lost hope abandoned as he slunk effortlessly back into his destined role.

Paul didn't like what he heard, but he agreed as he closed his eyes and pushed past the pain in his body to take several long deep breaths. When he felt like he could reach out and touch Bella without falling apart, he opened his eyes, ignoring the awaiting stares in the room.

He urgently wanted to know what had happened, what had left her broken on the bed, but more than that he needed to reassure himself, and his wolf, with the warmth of her skin and the rhythm of her heart.

Three pairs of eyes watched on patiently as Paul reached out to Bella with almost hesitant fingers, his touch quickly turning to impatience when she didn't respond as he needed her to.

"How long has she been out?" He asked lowly, not taking his eyes from the slightly parted pink of her lips.

"Since yesterday. Sam did a number on her, but she was doing okay." Jacob replied, knowing he was deliberately stalling by not telling Paul what he didn't know he was asking to hear.

Paul didn't say a word, his fingers now following the scrapes on her skin, as though touching the places where she was beginning to heal might be a sign of life.

The emotional climate in the room was fevered as they all watched and waited, knowing it couldn't be long now before all the cards were laid out for all to see.

"For a while it didn't look like you were going to make it, both you and Embry both." Jacob started, knowing it was better to do this on his terms than Pauls. "Edward bit you both and the venom seriously fucked you up, it stopped you from healing as you should; they slashed your back up pretty good." Jacob didn't say what they were all thinking, what they all knew had been some fucked up symbolic effort to recreate the wounds Paul had inflicted on Emily.

"Bella would have done anything to save you and in a way she did." That quickly got Paul's attention, his eyes landing like a sting on Jacob's face, all vestiges of softness gone as he rapidly assessed the looks of pity and persuasion heading his way.

"Just spit it out." Paul barked, knowing from their eyes that he was going to be furious when the words were finally out.

"The Elders told us of something the imprints used to do a while back." Leah said, taking over for Jacob as she gently squeezed his hand, letting him know it was her turn, her right to tell this part of the story. "It would finalize the imprint and bind us to our wolf, just as you had been bound to the imprint from the beginning. They said it might help strengthen the pack and somehow that might help you heal."

Paul gave Leah a look of loathing impatience as she paused, his fingers never once stopping their caress of Bella's hand.

"The ritual involved marking our skin with the blood of our wolf, a sort of weird old-school mixture of a tattoo and being blood brothers." Leah finished, waiting for Paul to piece together what she was saying. She lifted the sleeve of her t-shirt slightly so he could see the still reddened marks on her skin, the raw anger of the wounds only made worse by the mix of blood and ink that had been smeared into them.

Immediately Paul lifted Bella's body slightly, turning the arm that had been blind to him upwards towards what little light there was in the room. His eyes traced the only wound on her flesh that he didn't wish he could take away, the only one she had asked for herself, even if he did want to shake her for even considering being so stupid.

"And you let them do this? You let Bells do this, when you knew what I had running through my blood? Please tell me you didn't just fucking wing this, at least tell me you got the blood tested or some shit to make sure it was safe." Paul's voice was slowly rising, the cut of his words sharpening as his body rose higher and higher from the mattress.

Jacob at least had the decency to look ashamed, but it wasn't enough, it would never be enough if Bella didn't make it through this alive, and he meant in the warm skinned, heart beating kind of way.

Paul rubbed his free hand over his jaw, the short stubbled hair scratching against his palm as he tried to keep his cool, if only for Bella's sake. "You know if she doesn't make it, I'll hunt you down." Paul stated coldly, his eyes meeting Jacob's in a challenge that felt all too familiar. But unlike any reaction Leah expected her imprint to have, Jacob just nodded, understanding and remorse pushing their way to the forefront of his deep brown eyes.

"Can you keep down the threats about hunting him down, I'm trying to sleep here." A sweet voice requested, and though he wasn't sure whether he had imagined it or not, Paul's eyes darted away from Jacob's face down to a softly smiling Bella.

"You're awake?" He asked stupidly, not sure what to do with himself after he'd just been fighting with the possibility that she might not make it out of this alive.

"Hmmm, I am, but I really don't want to be." She replied, not aware of anyone but him in the room, her hand shakily reaching out to touch him, to assure herself that this wasn't just a dream. "You're awake too." She added, remembering that hadn't been the case when she'd laid down beside him, when she'd resigned herself to knowing there was nothing left to do but hope.

"Well, I for one am glad everyone's awake, but could someone tell me what the fuck happened?" Came a jovial voice from the doorway, and all eyes but Paul's turned to see Embry standing a little shakily in the doorway, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead from the effort it had taken him to hobble less than thirty feet.

Quil and Jacob were at the door in seconds, bracing themselves on either side of Embry as they took quite blatant comfort in the alert presence of their fallen pack mate, the pleasure and joy in their eyes palpable as the emotional climate of the room warmed with pure happiness.

"Now that everyone's awake, do you think we can get the fuck out of my house before my Mom gets home?" Quil asked desperately and though two people remained locked in their own little world; the rest of the room broke out into almost delirious laughter, unknown and unseen shackles of tension evaporating into the ether.

* * *

><p><strong>an: Thank you to my wonderful beta Twiticulate... and thanks to all you lovely readers... we're so close to the end now and I think maybe one or two chaps more might see this story complete. I would love to say I have something lined up ready for when WDF is finished, as I usually do, but right now I have nothing concrete in the works :(**

**Anyway, I'll see you all again soon. xxx**


	36. Warm Bodies

When the laughter died out, the room quickly turned awkward, several pairs of eyes all turning to one another with uncertainty. So much had happened between them all that they would never be able to go back to anything easy, anything innocent, not without the lingering memories of the time they had all spent locked away in the woods.

"So what now?" Quil asked, turning to Jacob with complete belief that his Alpha would have the answer he needed.

"I think, for starters, we put a stop to you going grey about three decades too soon and get the hell out of chez Ateara. Paul, do you mind if we relocate this party to your place for a while?" Jake asked, not understanding why Paul's first reaction was to narrow his eyes in an accusatory manner.

"Only if someone plans to fix the Quil sized hole in my living room wall." Paul muttered, not exactly pleased at the prospect of having his sanctuary invaded, especially after the last time one of the pack had set foot in his home. "How long do you plan on having us all hang out like some fucked up furry Brady Bunch?" He added, brushing his fingers over several scratches that had previously escaped his notice on the underside of Bella's wrist.

"Just until you're all up on your feet again, then it's back to the status quo I guess." Jacob replied, making a point of gesturing towards Embry who was now being propped up by his imprint in the doorway.

"Well let's get moving then." Quil interjected, clearly impatient to empty his family home of foreign bodies now that the prospect was dangling at his fingertips.

Paul was the first to move, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed before turning to his rapt audience and gruffly addressing them all. "Do you want to watch me take a piss too, or do you think we could get a little privacy here?"

It didn't take long for the room to empty and Bella was silently relieved to no longer feel the pressure of so many eyes watching her every move. The door clicked shut behind Quil and she immediately turned her attention to Paul who was sitting rigidly at the edge of the bed, his fingers curling aggressively into the mattress.

"Can you stand?" She asked quietly, trying to keep the conversation private in a house full of potentially prying ears.

"Can you?" Paul asked. From the tone he used, Bella worried he'd taken offence to her words, perhaps assigning them as an accusation of weakness, but then he turned to her with a cheeky grin on his face and she easily reciprocated with a happy smile.

Paul's upward progression was slow and he kept his face hidden from Bella the whole time, knowing she would only worry, as he grimaced with the sharp spikes of pain that stabbed along his spine. Willpower alone brought him to his full height and only once he knew he had control of his body did he turn to his imprint, triumphant in his small success.

"I didn't think you were going to make it." Bella muttered into the sheets, trying to hide herself from him in a moment when she knew that only smiles and happiness held an appropriate place.

"Hey…" He coaxed, realizing she wasn't just talking about getting to his feet. Moving as fast as he could around the bed, he waited for her to turn his way. "Look at me." He ordered, his voice hard as he stood over her, the strength of his spirit lifting her head against her will.

"Come here." He held out his hands and though she still felt weak, she reached for him, pulling herself into his arms with the help of his unnatural strength.

"I'm sorry that I put you in that position. I thought I could save you, but I underestimated him; I underestimated what he was capable of." Paul's confession brought a sharp shake to her head.

"I never blamed you, I never even thought to blame you. What were we going to do, hide out in the woods forever hoping they didn't pick us off one by one? It didn't do Embry and Leah any good." Bella wasn't sure whether she should tell him that she believed they would have come for them either way, that in her mind they were simply the more seasoned warriors in their malevolent game.

"I could have killed you." Paul stated in a voice imbedded with such pain that all she could do was cling to him a little tighter. It wasn't so long ago that she'd asked him to let her in, but she knew this wasn't the way she wanted it; not as a by-product of grief and regret.

"No. Sam and Edward could have killed me, but they didn't and I know I've not been awake very long, but I really just want to put this whole mess behind us and move on." She nestled her face down into his neck, wincing slightly when her bruised cheek brushed his shoulder, but she didn't let it stop her as she pressed her lips down on the warmth of his skin.

He took her lead for what it was and gently lowered his head, meeting hers halfway.

His lips brushed against hers with a quiet desperation. Pulling back he pressed his forehead against hers, gathering himself before he scared her with the intensity of his need. However, she didn't want to wait for anything anymore and she swiftly closed the space between them, pulling his bottom lip into the warmth of her mouth with gentle teeth.

A switch flipped in his mind and though both of them were bruised and broken, Paul pushed Bella down onto the bed, his tongue pressing against hers, tasting and teasing as his body grinded with an animalistic need.

"Hey are you guys…." Leah's voice abruptly caught in the doorway.

"You fuckers, you knew what they were doing in there!" She shouted from the hall beyond the door, earning her three rolls of pleased laughter from downstairs.

Paul knew that their alone time was up for now and reluctantly he withdrew his body, pleased to find that each new movement he made came a little easier.

"We'll finish this later." He growled, making sure Bella understood that he was deadly serious. They had spent so little time together, so much of their short relationship wasted being told what to do by other people, ordered from place to place, hiding away, but he mentally promised himself that it wouldn't be that way anymore; it would be on his terms.

The group found the move from one end of La Push to the other slow going, but when they were once again ensconced behind closed doors, they all found themselves looking at one another in uncertain tension once again.

"So now what?" Paul asked, turning to the Alpha with expectation as he held his imprint protectively under his arm; the only one his wolf was truly welcoming in his private place. The walk across town had loosened both Paul and Embry considerably, the only one seeming to weaken with the slight exercise had been Bella and he knew this would leave Jacob in something of a quandary.

"I don't know to be honest. Maybe we should just all go our separate ways. I mean, you've got Bells right?" Jake asked instead of ordered, looking to his friends for their opinion. Several shoulders shrugged, but no one moved, each looking to the other to make the first step.

"I mean, it would be nice just to be home for a while, but what's the cover story? I mean, where does my Mom think we've been all this time?" Embry spoke honestly, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck as he tried not to show how much he didn't want to stick around for the intimate reunions he knew couldn't be held back for long.

"My dad told your Mom everything; he didn't think there was any point keeping it secret when both you and Paul were involved. The only ones who don't know anything are Quil's Mom and Charlie, but that's only 'cause she was away and Charlie, well Charlie's…" Jacob left it hanging there, knowing Bella was the only one with a parent truly waiting to pounce, and he was sure it wasn't going to be pretty when he did.

"Does anyone mind if I just go ahead and split?" Embry asked, looking around the room to the worn faces looking back his way, feeling like the thing he truly needed most in this moment was a little space from everything that had happened.

But no one said a word.

"How about we all get together again tomorrow night for pizza or something?" Leah asked, breaking the weird tension with the invitation of food and a plan to all come together again. No one understood why it lifted the hesitation they'd all been feeling, each nodding with ease as they now headed to the door feeling a little lighter.

"Do you still want me to fix up that wall?" Quil asked, rocking on his heels as he looked between the gaping hole in Paul's house to where the elder wolf was wrapped possessively around his imprint.

"You bet your ass I do. I'm gonna show B to our room, then I'll be back to give you a hand." Paul said dismissively as he led Bella up the stairs, ignoring the little smile that had appeared on her lips as he spoke.

Bella was too tired to really take in everything around her as he laid her down carefully in the middle of the bed, his ever-caressing hands releasing her from the confines of her clothes. She didn't know if she had the strength left to tell him she didn't have the energy to be touched, but he did nothing more than wrap her protectively in his soft sheets, earning him a soft sigh of pleasure from her throat.

"I'm gonna have to face Charlie, he's gonna be so mad." She mumbled, so close to sleep that only her wolf could be able to make out the words through her slurred speech.

"Just get some rest, we'll figure it out when you're feeling better." He soothed, brushing her hair from her face until her body rose and fell in a slow even rhythm, deep sleep finding her aching bones easily.

Rushing down the stairs, Paul knew that he only had so much willpower to stay away, the knowledge that he'd come so close to losing her sending his wolf crazy with worry to not be by her side.

Together he and Quil worked fast and as the final, temporary pieces of the wall were joined together, they each stood back to admire their handiwork. "Thanks man, I know you didn't mean to do it, but it would have taken me twice as long without your help." Clapping Quil on his back, he didn't notice the look of pride flit across the young wolf eyes, his previous interactions with Paul amounting only to those of anger and passive aggression.

"You're welcome to hang around if you want, see if you can scrounge anything to eat from the cupboards." It was as much an invitation to friendship as Paul was ever going to give, and even though it was largely empty as he intended to spend his every waking second making sure Bella was okay, it was still monumental to Quil.

"Thanks dude, but I'm gonna head back and clean up a little before my Mom gets back. Hopefully she'll just think I had a couple of the guys around or something." Quil responded and Paul could see the boy in the eyes of his pack-mate.

"Kay, well if you change your mind, you know where to find us." Paul offered as he winked at the younger wolf, unable to stop the plurals slipping from his lips as he loped almost happily up the stairs.

Bella was still sleeping soundly as he laid himself down by her side, his fingers wrapping around her body and pulling her to him with as much caution as he could muster. It felt right to have her in his house, particularly without all the threats that had hung over their heads. He still couldn't truly grasp what it meant to exist without Sam in his life, without Jared and what it had meant for so long to be a wolf. But those things were gone and all that was left in the void was his imprint, the only thing keeping his feet in La Push and not running wild through the lands of others. It felt wrong to admit that on some level he would miss Sam, but he did and the betrayal of the emotion twisted in his gut. He was busy self-chastising when his felt Bella's small body writhe in his arms, the naked expanse of her skin rubbing wantonly, unconsciously, across his own.

He didn't know what she would say when she woke up and understood that not a strip of clothing existed between them, but he couldn't fathom the feeling of textiles on his skin, not when she was so close, so close and still too far away.

"Hi…" She mumbled shyly into his chest, her eyes fluttering open to meet his, her fingers immediately touching his skin, verifying he was really there.

"How do you feel?" He asked, not able to keep the tips of his touch from the thick purple bruises on her face, frowning in obvious disapproval to see her so blatantly damaged.

"Okay I guess, still tired though. Do you think it's right that I'm so tired?" Unable to keep the honest concern from her voice, she looked to him with worried eyes.

"I think if that's the worst that's gonna happen, then we've dodged a pretty fucking huge bullet. If you're still so out of it in a few days then we'll go see the doc, okay?" He asked, his fingers lowering to the curve of her waist, his touch light as he tasted her body, reassuring himself with the feel of her skin.

"I need a shower." She stated from out of the blue, groaning as the reality of lying naked in a bed with Paul juddered to the forefront of her mind, reminding her that she couldn't recall her last shower, the last time she'd even managed to look in the mirror.

"Can I join you?" He asked, and though she didn't say so, Bella understood that it was too soon for him to let her go, to let her close the door when he could be by her side. Nodding her head once she reluctantly stripped away the bedding from her body, a deep scarlet blush rose to her cheeks as his eyes roamed lavishly from the tip of her toes to the top of her mussed hair.

Paul held no shame in his body as he stood and brazenly walked to the bathroom, turning on the water in his oversized tub before she could change her mind and turn him away.

Once the water was ready he helped her to the tub, lifting her into his arms before stepping down into the steaming hot water, lowering her as slowly as his still healing body would allow. She sighed with pleasure as the water rose higher on her skin, the sharp stings of healing wounds reminding her that she was alive, that they'd made it through to the other side.

"Tilt your head back." He commanded quietly, supporting her neck as he carefully poured water over her hair, watching as the water sinfully trailed down her neck, leading his eyes down to the dark peaks of her nipples. He wanted so much to reach out and touch her, to bury himself in her until there was no place left to go, but the need to care for her overrode every instinct in his body, threatening to drown him If he didn't do everything in his power to ensure that she found the next dawn with peace in her soul.

His fingers massaged shampoo gently into her scalp, turning the water opaque with bubbles and suds. He felt her whole frame relax into his, her emotions swaying into his as the need in her grew to outweigh the exhaustion.

Her fingers that had once grasped to the edges of the bath disappeared under the water and as they trailed gradually up the muscular pathways of his thighs, he warred with himself, fighting out desire over appropriate post potential death behavior.

"Don't you want to touch me?" She whispered as she reached between his legs, her fingers finding him hard and ready for her as she pumped up and down over his slick skin. He groaned in response, still not sure whether it would be right to reciprocate her touch. But as she ran her little fingers around his dick, gripping him with a strength that seemed to come from nowhere, need won out and he pulled her to him, grasping her breasts almost painfully in his desperation to take everything he could before his conscience kicked in.

"I need you to kiss me." Bella begged, her head lolling back, shampoo still slick in her hair, irritating his enhanced senses with her proximity and the sharp saccharine scent.

"I don't know if I can control myself." He pleaded, opening up his soul for her to see as she broke him down over and over again.

"I don't want you to be in control, Paul, I want you to be you." She demanded, knowing who he was and how he would be, knowing there was nothing and no one she craved more.

He lifted them with ease and though she imagined their destination to be the soft comfort of the bed, he moved them swiftly to the shower, taking the brunt of the initially icy water as he shielded her with his wide embrace.

The soap ran in streams down her body as the cascade of water pounded down on her head, her body slipping delightfully under his strong touch. Their bodies writhed in ways that he couldn't have predicted, couldn't have forced or manipulated in his wildest dreams and before he could even touch her in places that had haunted his mind since awakening once again, he knew he would hold out much longer.

"I need you inside me." She pleaded and his fingers trailed down between her thighs, feeling just how ready she was as she rolled her hips back and forth over his hand, the desperation he felt making itself known in the depths of her body.

Paul didn't hold back as he'd intended, didn't take the time to kiss her like he should, to reassure her that this was more than just a physical release, he simply thrust into her soul, shattering what was left of her resolve into unbound pieces.

Bella had never needed anything so much before as she needed him in that moment, never felt such a feeling of blissful tranquility as he pulled himself almost completely free from her body, only to hammer back into her again, blowing on the embers that tingled over her skin with each rock of his body.

It could have been minutes or hours later, but when she fell over the blissful edge into pure oblivion, she did so with his name on her lips, the sound singing to his senses.

"Oh fucking god." He groaned as his thrusts intensified and just when he thought he might never come down again, he released everything he had into her body, clinging to her skin as his felt each tremor of pleasure rattle through the both of them.

"Did you feel that?" He panted, not sure whether the intensity had been for him alone.

"Yeah." Bella sighed, trying not to ruin her high with too many words. The smile of absolute contentment lingered on her face as he lifted her from the droplets of water, wrapped her in a thick towel and placed her like precious glass back in his bed.

It stayed on her lips as she fell into a dreamless blissful sleep.

Bella awoke with a start, searching the nightstand for a time frame more specific than the dead of night. Shifting gently she tried not to wake Paul, whose arm was wrapped over the base of her spine, even in sleep looking to protect her.

But then she heard the sound again and she knew that what she'd first assumed was a dream, was actually the real world banging down the front door.

"Paul?" She hissed, turning to find his eyes already open, staring at the ceiling with a blank look in his tired eyes.

"I was kinda hoping he'd just get tired and leave." Paul mumbled irately, shifting his head so she could find his eyes, her fingers already caressing the taut plains of his chest.

"Who is it?" She asked, subconsciously already aware of the man slamming her firmly back into harsh reality in the dead of night.

"Your father."

* * *

><p><strong>an: I'm so sorry this one took a while to get to you, but here it is and as always a thank you to my spectatular beta Twiticulate. **

**Thanks to Feebes86 and 82c10akaLynn who both let me know that When Darkness Falls has been nominated under the Paw-biter category over on JacobBlackNPack in the Summer 2011 Awards. I can't tell you how ridiculously happy about it (I may have even bounced around a little in delight!), so if you want to show WDF some love, please head on over and vote (you have until Oct 22nd and you don't need to be a member!). **


	37. Taken

"Do you think he'll go away?" Bella asked, not wanting to drag her body from the bed for any reason, let alone to confront her father over something she couldn't even begin to explain.

"I don't know babe, he's your dad. But he's been banging away down there for a good thirty minutes now, so what do you think?" Paul knew his rights, knew that the girl laying next to him was legally an adult in the eyes of the law. It was only the eyes of a father that he had to deal with in this moment, but that didn't make him feel any more at ease to have the Chief of Police banging on his door in the middle of the night.

"You think he's here for me?" She asked, unsure whether the thought really did bring the relief it should to know that he wasn't about to bust down the door and wave around warrants.

"Well, I know he's alone down there and it seems too coinci-fucking-dental that the day Jake finally goes home that your daddy dearest shows up on my doorstep. So yeah, I think he's here for you, for now at least." Paul concluded, wishing for just a moment that his life could go back to how it had been, to the time when he didn't have to worry about who was gonna show up in the middle of the night and disturb his peace.

"Whatever I say to him, just go with it okay?" Bella pleaded as she struggled to get out of bed, searching the floor for something to wear.

"Here, put this on." Paul offered as he threw his oversized shirt in her direction, earning him a reproachful stare in response.

"I was trying to find anything that might make it look like I hadn't just spent the night in your bed, not concrete proof of it." She muttered as she jumped slightly, the banging resuming at the front door and echoing ominously throughout the house.

Finding nothing else at hand, she threw the shirt over her head with a hopeless sigh, pulling on her panties as Paul watched on, not trying to hide the fact that he wanted her in his clothes, that he wanted her father to see that she was his now, a declaration she'd made of her own choosing.

"Get dressed." Bella hissed desperately as she caught his eyes roaming all over her body, no hint of urgency in his demeanor as he stood proud in his natural state, moonbeams casting a beautiful blue glow over his dark skin.

Silently Paul shrugged on a pair of jeans and then made his way to the blackened corridor, ignoring Bella's protests that he could at least throw on a shirt as she followed him at something caught between a quick walk and a slow jog.

"Are you ready for this?" Paul asked as he drew to a stop directly in front of the front door, the shadow of an irate man pacing just beyond a thin plate of mottled glass bringing the reality of the situation home. However Bella didn't speak, she simply nodded her head once as she reached out for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his as she reminded herself that it was just her father behind the door, just her father and not another monster from the woods.

But the door swung open before she could fully convince herself of that fact and as she stood there staring at the man who she could barely recognize as the strong father figure she'd left behind, she felt herself grasp onto her wolf like her life depending on it.

The movement didn't bypass her father's astute eyes, neither did the fact that his daughter was half dressed in the middle of the night, in the house of a man he was all but convinced was guilty of at the very least aiding and abetting a murder. The anger that had been building in his system since finding Jacob Black sitting at home on his father's couch as though nothing had happened quickly melted away.

It started out with her name caught in his throat, and then without warning he felt like he was drowning in relief, the reality of his daughter's safety and welfare too much to process from the hope he'd clung to since his house had blown away, the memories of his life twisting with embers in the breeze.

"Bells." He finally whispered out, angrily wiping away the tears that obstructed his vision with the back of his hand.

She came to him then, her fragile arms wrapping around his neck like she had as a little girl, the comfort she found in her father's embrace like none other in the world.

"I thought you were gone…I thought…" Bella could feel a knot of guilt rise in her throat as she listened to Charlie bare his soul on her shoulder, reminding her of how much hurt she'd caused with her actions.

"I'm here Dad, I promise, nothing is going to happen to me." Bella couldn't remember the last time Charlie had touched her with any kind of affection, and without knowing it she pulled him a little closer, feeling the rough feel of his unshaven face brush over her temple. Their reunion was cut short with a loud and pushy cough from behind them, and when Bella felt Charlie's body stiffen around her, she mentally cursed Paul for his lousy timing, that and what was no doubt some testosterone driven urge to be the one she was holding with such affection.

Charlie looked over his daughter's shoulder to the large Quileute standing like a statue in the doorway, and though he was barely holding on to his emotions as it was, he knew that if he spoke now he would only end up pushing his daughter further into the arms of the brute and not back out of them as he desperately desired.

Bella felt her heart skip as Charlie pulled away, leaving her standing cold in the star lit sky as he pushed his way into Paul's home. She noticed Paul's fists flex and she knew within herself that he was holding himself back for her, that he was allowing this to play out when it went against his every instinct to do so, especially in the sanctuary of his own personal space.

A simple tug on her hand told Bella that she had to move, that she couldn't just stand in the doorway all night and pretend that this wasn't happening. After everything that had happened she'd run out of time to think of some plausible reason for her disappearance, especially one that didn't involve things that went bump in the night.

"What happened to your face?" Charlie asked as she moved to stand awkwardly in the doorway, watching her father pace around the room, stopping occasionally to take a closer look at something that took his interest. The deep pool of emotion she'd found in his eyes only moments ago was gone and with the clipped tone he was using, the tight rigidity of his spine, she knew that she wasn't just dealing with her father, she was also facing the inquisition of a man who had spent his years weeding through the lies of criminals.

"I got punched in the face." She replied, knowing she had no story lined up to tell, so the truth would have to suffice in its place.

"Was it him?" He asked succinctly, his eyes landing squarely on Paul with nothing friendly in his gaze.

Bella felt a tremor hurtle up her arm and for a moment she looked to the ground, wondering why the earth was shaking. Then realization dawned and she was slammed back into the truth of what her life now was. Turning to Paul, she noticed the muscles twitching under his jaw, the whole of his body held so tight that he looked ready to pounce.

She didn't care that it gave more credibility to her father's theory when she turned her back to him, her fingers dancing over Paul's jaw until he turned his eyes down to her. There was nothing soft in the look he gave her and though she knew he would say no, she had to say the words, to offer him the chance to walk away before he did something that could never be taken back. "Maybe you should go in the other room, give Charlie and me some time on our own to figure this out?"

Paul's eyes darted over her shoulder taking in the threat standing in his own living room, but there was no choice to be made and though he could have held himself back, he pulled her into his body, not caring that her father's eyes had narrowed with every inch he closed between himself and his daughter.

Pulling back from his embrace, Bella felt like she could hear her father's disapproval screaming out from behind her, breaking through the usual peace she felt in Paul's arms.

"Paul didn't do this to me, someone else did, someone who can't hurt me anymore." Bella sighed, suddenly feeling a wave of pure unadulterated exhaustion sweep through her to have to find pieces of truth to share.

Paul obviously felt it too and under a watchful stare he pushed her down into a nearby chair before moving back to stand over her shoulder like a sentinel.

"What does that mean, Bells, 'someone who can't hurt you'? I thought I'd lost you, I thought the worst things you could ever imagine. Is it too much to ask for a real answer?" Charlie implored her with his eyes and she felt her walls crumbling around her. Would it be too much to ask? Looking to Paul she found her answer in the drawn line of his lips, the firm refusal in his eyes.

Seeing his daughter close down so clearly with so little influence from the Quileute she was clinging to was enough to send Charlie's blood pressure skyrocketing. He'd interviewed too many women in his time who covered up blood and bruises with lies, and he was damned if his own flesh and blood was going to become one of them.

"So do you want to cut through this bullshit then and tell me where you've been, Bella? Where you were when you lied and sent me a letter telling me you were going to stay with your Mom? Or maybe where you were when some punk kid blew up my house? And since you don't seem too surprised by the fact that we no longer have a home, how about you tell me why you never called me to let me know that you were ok; that you weren't inside the house when it burnt to the ground? Or, I don't know, how about you tell me who the hell hurt you and why you feel so sure that they can't hurt you anymore? And how about we round this out and you tell me exactly what else they did to you, because I wasn't born yesterday, I can see by the way you're hobbling around that there's more to it." Charlie's words were so evenly paced, filled with such a cold control that Bella literally shivered, unable to meet his disapproving eyes when she feared he would find a route directly into her soul.

"I've been here, on the rez. I just couldn't cope being locked up all the time and I needed to breathe. I didn't mean to stay away, but I couldn't go back, I couldn't leave. When I found out about the house, when I thought about how much I'd hurt you by leaving in the first place, it just got harder and harder to face what I'd left behind." Bella's words were a mumbled confession filled with holes she hoped her father wouldn't scratch at, but she was underestimating her father's heart.

"So that's how you want to play this? You want to protect him when he kept you hidden from me? Do you think I'm dumb enough to think you aren't covering for him? Do you know what he's done, Bells? What he and his friends did to that poor girl…" Bella's eyes snapped up to see Charlie looking pointedly at Paul, combative eyes betraying the sadness in his voice and sending swirling waves of wildly aggressive energy across the small expanse of the room.

"Do you have any proof that Paul was involved in any of that?" Bella asked, breaking the tension by saying something no one in the room had expected.

Her father stumbled, his mouth opening and closing once and then twice before he wrapped his arms around his chest, not seeing how defensive the position appeared.

"Do you?" Bella pushed, feeling the loyalties she'd harbored for the man in front of her twist violently in her gut as she watched him take note of her allegiances and see them bound to another.

"Bells, you know you don't have to do this, right?" He asked, ignoring the way Paul's hand had come down to grip Bella's shoulder, the warmth of his touch providing her with the comfort she so desperately needed.

"I'm not doing anything I wouldn't do for any one of my friends, Dad, but if you're going after Paul for something he didn't do, then you have to know I'm going to stand by him every step of the way. I know your heart's in the right place, but I think you've been led in the wrong direction. However, if you insist on pursuing this, and be clear that by 'this' I mean Paul, then I don't want you to be surprised when you find I'm working against you." Bella locked eyes with her fathers, begging him to see how difficult this was, how the thought of the two most important men in her life being at odds was literally tearing her apart.

When Paul wrapped Bella up in his arms and she fell easily into his embrace, Charlie took a sharp step backwards and Bella couldn't help but see that he felt like his own flesh and blood had just slapped him clean across the face.

"Please don't do this, Bella. I've rented a little place in town until I get things sorted and I really think you should come back home with me. I know right now it probably feels like you know everything about the world, but sometimes people aren't who you think they are, sometimes you need someone to show you what's going on behind the blinders. Just come with me?" Charlie's shoulders seemed to crumble as he spoke and though no one had offered him the comfort, he took a much-needed seat in one of Paul's chairs.

"I'm not you Charlie, and I'm not Mom either. I'm not here because I made a mistake and got stuck in something I couldn't control." But there were more lies in those words than in any she'd spoken all evening and Bella couldn't help but glance towards Paul, and find him moving to her side without a word spoken between them.

"Is that what you think happened? Is that why you're doing this? Because of something that happened between your Mom and me." Charlie's words were spoken with such shock that Bella was already shaking her head violently before he could finish with the unwarranted thoughts.

"No, it has nothing to do with you and Mom, maybe I'm not explaining it properly…" She was about to vehemently declare that she would never make the same foolish choices they'd made, but instead she turned to Paul and realized with a couple exotic twists here and there, she wasn't so different after all.

"I'm staying here Dad." Bella said firmly, deliberately using the term that so often curled on her tongue with a certain unfamiliarity. "I'll go back to school in Forks when I'm ready, but I'm moving to the rez. I know you probably think it's something you did, or something I'm doing to make you angry, or whatever else, but it has nothing to do with that. Paul's asked me to marry him and while I haven't said yes yet, I've decided to move in so I can see if we can really make this work." Bella held her breath as the last words left her mouth, and though she didn't want to look, she couldn't help but turn to Paul, hoping he wouldn't be reacting with complete and utter shock.

Yet he had been true to her request and she found nothing but a smirk on his lips, clearly enjoying the way her father's feathers had clearly been ruffled by her declaration.

"Bells, you aren't old enough to make that sort of decision. You just…" Charlie abruptly stopped and looked to his daughter, his head dropping to his hands as he rubbed his tired eyes. "I don't want to fight with you after I only just found you again. I just had to see you, I had to be sure that he wasn't hurting you." Charlie concluded, his voice small and lost in a man who normally commanded whole rooms with his prowess.

"I would never hurt her." Paul stated firmly, with more anger than was truly necessary, but he couldn't bring himself to hold in his temper, not when this was the second time his imprint's father had questioned his ability to care for what was his.

"Maybe I should just go?" Charlie stated in a half question, before rising to his feet and looking beyond the man by her side to see only his daughter. "Will you walk me to the door Bells?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Paul remained where he was as she stood, but it didn't stop him from hearing the hushed conversations from the doorway, the promises Bella made to see her father again if he called during more sociable hours. When she returned to his side, she was wearing a look of triumphant sorrow and he eagerly pulled her into his arms and led them back up to bed.

"So, married huh?" He asked jovially, not caring about the lie particularly, but wondering how exactly she planned to pull that off in a town which such rampant gossip.

"Yeah, it was the only way I figured he'd be happy to let me stay here. For now he thinks I'm considering it, but when he tries to convince me getting married so young isn't such a good idea, he'll feel like he has some control again; he'll feel like he's won a little bit when we only agree to living together." Bella wasn't particularly proud of her plan and as she stumbled back into bed, it was Paul who pulled her to his bare chest, who whispered enticingly in her ear. "And whoever said you get to live here huh?" He asked, silently reveling in the manipulative manner of her plan, the assumptions she'd made and the future that was taking shape in front of his eyes.

"You want me to leave?" Bella asked as she turned to face her wolf, the playful sparkle in his eyes letting her know his true stance in this game.

"No." He replied succinctly. "Never."

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><p><strong>an: Thank you to my super beta Twiticulate, you rock hun!**

**A little note to all you readers; I'm truly sorry for the delay between updates recently, it's nothing more than a combination of bad timing, RL shit and coming to the end of the story (which I always find hard to write). So thank you for all your patience and hopefully it won't be such a long pause until the next chapter arrives. Until then... **

xxx


	38. Final Destination

"Is this really necessary?" Paul asked gruffly as he loosened the tie that Bella had just finished adjusting to sit against the thick expanse of his shirt clad neck.

Looking back over her shoulder she tried not to stare, not to linger on just how delicious her wolf looked all dressed up in his Sunday best, even if most of it had been borrowed from his pack mates and was skirting somewhere around the edge of formal. Bella herself wasn't feeling much more comfortable in her knee length black dress and heels, but the approving look Paul gave her as they both stopped to adjust the unfamiliar clothes made it all worth it.

This invitation hadn't arrived in the post; it had been blurted out over a very awkward dinner, one of many that had occurred along the path to finding a somewhat less tempestuous status quo between Paul and her father. However, Charlie's newfound love of a local woman named Mary had gone a long way in helping along Charlie's more irrational side, the one that wouldn't let go of the suspicions he held for the man who had captured his daughter so thoroughly. As they approach the little outcrop of land overlooking the ocean, Bella smiled internally to think how much the very soon to be new Mrs. Swan had swept in and changed her father's life.

"You think Charlie will care if I ditch the tie?" Paul grumbled, and just as he was reaching up to pull away the offending item for good, Bella tugged his hand back down, linked her hand with his and smiled sweetly into his eyes.

"No, not in the slightest, but I have it on good authority that Mary will kick your ass if you so much as try." Bella giggled softly when Paul looked at her like she'd told him she'd just eaten the last slice of pizza the world would ever see. She jerked on his hand to get him moving again, knowing that they were already running late. It wasn't even like she had a good excuse lined up either, and she doubted that her Dad and his fiancée would take kindly to knowing that Paul had all but bent her over the front of his truck, unable to control his instincts when she walked out of the house in a dress.

"Bells, over here!" Someone called as they stepped out of the cool spring air into the more controlled climate of the Clifftop Hotel, where the big day was about to take place. Turning her head she waved brightly at Leah, who was standing with Jacob's arm tightly wound around her waist, his attention caught up in what was obviously a very intense conversation with his father.

Bella wasn't sure whether she actually wanted to interrupt them or not, but with everyone else clearly already having taken their seats, it wasn't exactly like they had much choice either.

As they drew nearer, Jacob's eyes lifted from Billy's and though he did offer her a smile, it was tight lipped and very controlled for her usually exuberant friend. Jacob had never quite returned to himself after the chaos that had ensued at the beginning of the year, and though Paul would never reveal the depths of his mind to her, he had often hinted that Jacob was harboring a great deal of guilt for things that she doubted he would ever be able to control.

"You look lovely, Bells." Leah gushed slightly when Bella and Paul were standing awkwardly in front of them and not a word had been spoken in greeting.

Bella nodded politely, but her focus was swept up in the silent conversation that was taking place between her wolf and their Alpha. A simple look from Paul told her that this was pack business, and though her curiosity had been piqued, she knew it would happily wait until later to hear the sordid details. She doubted it was anything more than a strange scent on the land; or just another over-reaction from Jacob and the guilt he was still entertaining.

"Have you seen Charlie?" Bella asked, pulling her eyes away from twitching jaws and trying to focus her energy back on the reason they were all here.

"He was around earlier and I gotta say Bells he looked ready to tear his hair out." Bella's smile grew as she envisioned the image, being the center of attention certainly wasn't his thing and today he would be front and center with all eyes looking his way.

Bella was about to open her mouth to say something more when Embry peeked his head out from the large doorway they were gathered in front of, his boyish smile bright and easy as he winked generously at Bella, earning him a low but brotherly growl from somewhere deep within Paul's throat. "They're ready to get going. You look hot Bells!"

His head disappeared and just when Bella was about to ask where her father was, he appeared at her side, his hair a little mussed and his face a little pinker than usual, just as Leah had insinuated.

"I think we're ready to start." He said, his voice flustered, as he looked at the five pairs of eyes all silently taking in his ruffled demeanor. "Paul, do you mind if I have a quick word with you and Bella?"

Jacob, Leah and Billy departed with brief sentiments wishing good luck and congratulations, and Bella was left alone fidgeting back and forth on her high heels, wondering exactly what Charlie wanted to say.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, and I think we both know that you had something to do with that incident that took place over the summer." Charlie stared down Paul, even when Bella sighed loudly; wondering why today of all times, her father felt the need to bring this up all over again.

"I thought we were past this, Dad." She interjected when it looked like neither man was going to say another word, and they were going to be left experiencing some weird macho stand-off that could potentially last all afternoon.

"I know what you think, Bells, but Paul and I both know that I stepped back for you, not because I followed the line of justice. I don't even want to go into what I suspect happened to the house." Charlie flicked his eyes down to his daughter and she had the awareness to look suitably contrite, even if she would never openly admit that she knew her wolf was as guilty as her father insinuated, Charlie knew she wasn't as naïve to the reality of the situation as she let on.

"I took you on the word of my daughter when she told me that those bruises didn't come from you and regardless of what I thought happened before, I know it wasn't you who hurt my baby-girl. I know from watching you that you never would either. I don't know if things will ever be the same again after today, but I wanted you both to know that you have my blessing, that I'm ready to put everything behind us and just forget everything that's come before." Charlie looked thoroughly uncomfortable under his emotionally driven declaration and it took Paul to break the tension.

"Mary's sure got you by the balls, huh Chief?" Paul joked, and Bella slapped him dismissively in the arm.

"What?" He asked, rubbing his arm slightly, though it was more for show than because she had actually managed to inflict any pain. Meeting her steely eyes, Paul looked back to Charlie and managed somehow to look a little repentant. "I just meant that…" But the look Bella gave him suggested that explaining exactly what he'd meant probably wasn't a good idea either, so he went for a simple; "…sorry," instead.

"I think what Paul is trying to say is that it means a lot to hear that, especially after everything we've been through."

It hadn't all just been awkward tensions Bella had been forced to deal with. Not only had Charlie hauled Paul down to the station twice for questioning, but he'd also refused to step foot in his house until the night when he announced that Mary, a woman who he'd known for years as the owner of the local diner and dated for a few months, had proposed to him, and Charlie, surprisingly, had said yes. Bella had said it would be the making of her father, a man who she believed existed in his loneliness just as other's endured years in a loveless marriage; he simply knew no better life.

"Don't you think you should be getting in there, kid? Mary will skin us all alive if this doesn't go like clockwork. You know how much effort she put into making this something special." Charlie was unable to hold back the authoritative edge to his tone, but underneath the surface was what Paul had called his 'bitch side', the one which only showed itself when he spoke about his new love.

"I'll see you on the other side, babe." Paul whispered in Bella's ear, and before she could react to the tingle on her skin, or the kiss he planted on her cheek, she was watching him walk away.

"I don't think I'll ever really like him, Bells, but he loves you like nothing I've ever seen before and I know I can sleep easy at night knowing he's looking out for you." Charlie mused to his daughter as she wrapped her arm around his tuxedo-clad arm, not commenting on the fact that his nerves were making him shake slightly.

"You ready for this, Dad?" She asked, looking into his brown eyes and finding a smile created solely for her.

"As I'll ever be, kid." He replied as the doors swung open. Still, Charlie didn't move a muscle and so with a little tug, Bella jump started him, walking him towards the aisle and the smiling friends and family all looking their way.

The room was filled with people that Bella had known for all, some, or only a fraction of her life. Even though all held a piece of her heart, only a few recognized the difference in the person who she'd been and the person she'd become over the past year. The pack were all standing together and she saved her most genuine smiles for them, the family she would always share the whole of her life with, not only the parts that were safe for public consumption. It was hard to know that she would always keep a part of herself from her parents, but what she got from the wolves and the imprints would always heal that pain and make the omission worthy of everything she had to give.

She was so caught up in her thoughts of pack that when she felt her father unwind her arm, she was jolted back into the here and now to find Paul smiling at her in a knowing way and her father looking a little curious. Gathering herself quickly, she walked him to Mary, smiling broadly as she symbolically gave her father away, releasing him into the arms of his soon to be wife, just as it always should have been.

"I love you, Dad." She whispered just as she felt her fingers drift from his touch, and the glisten in his eyes a moment later told her that he'd heard. He nodded his head in the only way he knew to return the sentiment in the moment.

Bella was so swept up in the moments that followed that she felt like her whole world was rotating on auto-pilot, and only when Paul looked to her with expectation did she cock her head slightly, earning her a broad, knowing grin from her wolf.

"…this is the part where you answer whether or not you want to take as your husband?" Paul filled in for her, and without hesitation, Bella smiled right back into his devilish eyes and confident answered, "I do."

* * *

><p><strong>an: That's it folks, the end! **

**I want to give endless helpings of thanks to my wonderful beta Twiticulate, you absolutely rock hun and I couldn't have done this without you. x**

**Thank you to all you readers for joining me on this one and normally this would be the point when I'd tell you about the next story I have coming up... but, I'm lacking a little inspiration right now, so hopefully I'll see you all again in the future when the plot bunnies start bouncing again. **

**Until then...xxx**

**p.s. When Darkness Falls won The Pawbiter Award (for the most suspenseful story) over at the JacobBlack'n'Pack Summer 2011 Awards, so a huge bit gleeful thank you to anyone who voted... I can't even begin to tell you how I ridiculously happy it made me :)**


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